The Persistence Foundation - Nipmoose - German Barn
Photographs by Constance Kheel
Cross beams are the timbers which cross the barn, connecting pairs of posts. Typically, barns have one cross beam for each pair of posts. In the German Barn, each pair of posts (there are five pairs in all) is connected by two beams, one set about four feet above the other.
Another special feature of German joinery is the way the upper cross beam is framed to the posts. Its tenons are dovetailed and locked into place with a wedge.
The German Barn was built in an era when sawmills were prevalent, but were limited in the length of the timbers they could saw. Thus, the 12 foot long posts of the German Barn were sawn, while its 30 feet long cross beams and 46 feet long plate beams were hand hewn.
The German Barn sits on a bank and has a full basement that has been designed for contemporary uses, such as the catering of events. Many barns in the mid to late 1800s were either built on banks or moved to banks to accommodate increased numbers of dairy cows, which were stabled in the lower level.
The monumental stone wall on the west side of the German Barn is a dazzling example of a dry laid stone foundation. Boulder-sized stones are skillfully suspended within the wall, which flanks a double door accessing the lower level.
The German Barn includes two loft areas, one on each end of the barn and a handsome oak plank floor. Three sets of double sliding doors, in addition to an entry door, allow for great flexibility in the use of the barn.
In order to hold events, meetings and exhibits in the German Barn, it has been insulated, and the interior walls covered with wood siding. To see more photographs, visit the Historic Barns of Nipmoose Gallery.