Hi OKarch,

This really doesn't look like a very clever arrangement.

The purlins are buckling and have now deformed badly.

Was this barn originally fitted with a lantern ?

Regards

Ken Hume

Must be the roof skin holding it all together.

Tim

Tricky to get Flckr images to show up inline!
Ridge looks too small to take the compression load when the bottom chord goes into compression. And it looks like it was pieced together - another potential weak spot.

Do you know any more history on the structure? Looks like a quonset hut?

Ken, where is all that metal in the Hancock barn, in the basement/manure trench? I've never seen it before. I'm about 20 minutes away, and a volunteer there, I might have to go check it out.

Hi Dave,

Its some time since I visited this barn - nearly 20 years ago ! and so you might well be correct. If you revisit then please try and get a good digi pic of this feature since my version is made with colour film now more than a little deteriorated. I think that what I previously described as the lantern should probably more accurately be descrbed as a vast centrally positioned haymow from which the cows were fed on a floor around the perimeter of the barn. I seem to recall that the metal support rods were underneath and supported the posts between the cow floor and hay mow which logically must have been above the manure trench. It would be good if you could tell us how these rods are anchored at both ends and how these anchor points were kept stable as construction of the barn took place.

Regards

Ken Hume

Ken,

I'll see if I can make it up to the Village tomorrow. I'll have to check on access to that part of the barn, I know it's not open to the public, but I can usually get into the attics and basements if I ask.

Ken

Looks exactly like a quonset hut.

Barn has two sheet metal cupola vents.

Really don't know much about the history. Owner says it was there when her father bought the place in 1959.

I agree the top chord is woefully under-designed. And poorly constructed.

So far no one has said that they've seen anything like this before, so I'm assuming this is unique.

I suspect it's unique for good reason...

What are the owner's intentions for this structure, I wonder?

I miss derek. Cool shot!