Barn in the USA

Text and Photographs by Bob Crittendon

It was February 2002 when I first met Bob Crittendon near his home at San Juan Capistrano, CA.  We had been in email contact for a year on Bob’s book-in-process on historic barns of the American Far West.  Bob, a Mississippi native and retired business executive, traced his passion for barns from a visit as a five-year old to his grandfather’s farm at Martin, TN. Recently Bob sent me the result of his vision and years of dedication to this retirement project.

Barn in the U.S.A. is a gem! It is a red (naturally) softcover volume of 104 pages, half of which are high quality full page color photos by Bob’s collaborator Jim Youden and the balance Bob’s text on selected historic barns in eleven Western states.  Too often this region of the country is understandably overshadowed by the trove of barns in the Midwest, Middle Atlantic and New England states;  Bob’s book focuses and gives due credit to the vernacular architecture of the livestock and fruit operations of the West. 

No matter where you live, if you like barns and Americana, you will enjoy the photography and history of Barn in the U.S.A. Aside from the selected barns of the Far West, there is a useful section on barn types and features nationwide as well as current efforts to preserve this architectural heritage.

Barn in the U.S.A. is published by Fulcrum, Golden, CO, To purchase a copy for a private barn tour in the comfort of your home, contact www.historicbarns.com or www.fulcrumbooks.com for details. 

Review by Charles Leik. Posted August 1, 2006.