Bob, the term "recycle" by no means refers to the modern barn to home conversion, it was me being PC. My recent reading of Big House Little House.... lead me to suggest the re-use of older barns, re locating them, I thought it could have been a possibility. The book suggest it was a practice only found in the northern New England area, this is likely true. Local thrifty farmers trying to be even more thrifty. I find old barn, stone foundations, spread around, empty of a barn, and a large number of, obviously re used barn in my area of down east Maine. It sounds like the barns you speak of are by no means of this ilk.
More on the barns you are looking at.... the dates you specify, 1906-1928 were part of the rise, a high leading to the big drop, the roaring 20's. Could these well constructed barns be a result of this? The new generation of farmer needing a farm of his own and pulling from his past and building a similar barn to what was accustom, forgoing the "new version" stick built system with the fancy pants plans. And besides it won't work like pappy's barn, the forebay barn. They still stuck to tradition, for the most part, you say the forebay is shorter.
If I recall, the forebay cantilevered joist, on the 8' version, was tapered, reducing weight. Do the shorter forebays taper? I am going to guess they do not. Were the newer barns canted joist of smaller size over all? Just wondering if they had access to sizable trees, and if not this may reflect in the missing 5' or so of forebay.
Just some entertaining questions.
