Lost Barns tells the story of the disappearance of small family farms in New England through photographs and interviews with descendants of the families and with local historical societies. All of the farms and barns in this book are no longer standing. As I interviewed the various family members, neighbors, and historians, I tried my best not to shade their memories with my interpretations.
These lost barns were more than just old buildings. They were monuments to the hard work, perseverance, and ingenuity of New England farm families who struggled to make a living off the land. They were families who took pride in their farms and especially their barns.
To bring these barns to life, I gathered stories from descendants of the families who worked these farms, as well as from local historians and historical societies. Without their stories, this would be little more than a book of old photos.
Over the past two centuries, New England has evolved from an agricultural society to a technological one. The disappearance of barns serves as a visual metaphor for that evolution. Through these photographs and stories, I hope to preserve a small part of that history before it disappears entirely.
