During the 1700s and early 1800s, barns on family farms in the Northeast U.S. were generally covered with thick vertical boards. The boards would slowly weather to a brownish-gray color when they were left unpainted.
However after the mid-1800s, to improve the effectiveness of their barns by lowering drafts to assist keep their animals more comfortable in winter, lots of farmers tightened up their barns by having wood clapboards horizontally nailed on the outdoors barn walls. These clapboards were sawed quite thin, so painting them offered needed security and dressed up the look of the barns.
A dairy barn in Waitsfield, Vermont, constructed circa 1890. Credit: Thomas Visser, CC BY-ND
In the 1800s it was typical for individuals to make their own paints by mixing pigments with linseed oil made from flax seeds and other active ingredients. Pigments are dry products that add color. They were offered in numerous colors, however the tint we see so often on older American barns was called Venetian red.
According to the 1884 edition of “Everybodys Paint Book,” by F.B. Gardner, Venetian red was “suitable for any typical work, or for brickwork and outbuildings.” This red pigment penetrated well into wood barn boards and withstood fading when exposed to sunshine, so it might age with dignity for generations.
Venetian red got its name due to the fact that historically this pigment was produced from natural clays discovered near Venice, Italy. The clays consisted of an iron oxide substance that produced this red color.
Horse grazes on a farm.
But as individuals found comparable iron oxide deposits in numerous other locations, “Venetian red” became a generic term for light red pigments that did not have any purple tinge. By the 1920s, such “earth pigments” used to make red paints were being dug in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Alabama, California, Iowa and Vermont.
These stamps, launched Jan. 24, 2021, reveal a round barn surrounded by the hazy light and warm colors of fall; a gambrel-roofed barn in summer season; a forebay barn in an early spring countryside; and a Western barn on a winter seasons night. USPS, artwork by Kim Johnson, CC BY-ND
By the late 1800s, in addition to red, it ended up being stylish to paint barns with other color design, especially those developed to complement the architectural designs and surfaces of owners houses. These included various hues of browns, yellows and greens. Likewise, white paint commonly was used to houses and barns.
Red paint remained popular on lots of farms due to the fact that it was the most affordable. In 1922 the Sears, Roebuck brochure provided red barn paint for just $1.43 per gallon, while other colors of home paints cost a minimum of $2.25 per gallon– almost twice as much.
Today, numerous modern-day barns do not look like classic versions. Extremely big barns that hold numerous cows or pigs look more like hangars or warehouses, and may be built of metal. However the tradition of painting smaller barns red continues– so highly that the U.S. Postal Service now commemorates them on postage stamps.
Composed by Thomas Durant Visser, Professor of Historic Preservation, University of Vermont.
This post was very first published in The Conversation.
There are 3 factors we see numerous red American barns. Its conventional, its useful and the color looks good.
A main factor to paint wooden structures is for appearances, paint likewise secures the wood so it lasts longer.
They were offered in different shades, but the tint we see so frequently on older American barns was called Venetian red.
By the late 1800s, in addition to red, it ended up being trendy to paint barns with other color plans, especially those developed to match the architectural designs and surfaces of owners homes. White paint typically was used to homes and barns.
Today, lots of modern-day barns dont look like classic versions. The tradition of painting smaller barns red continues– so strongly that the U.S. Postal Service now commemorates them on postage stamps.