by Texas Homesteader
Yesterday we began touring our old barn. If you missed it you can see it here. Today we’ll finish our tour. Grab your coffee and come with me!
We’re still looking at all the rooms and pens in the main runway – we saw the ones on the right side yesterday so today let’s check out the ones to the left. Looking left we see many different enclosed spaces and storage areas. What rustic yet beautiful detailing.
This door leads to a very small fully-enclosed room, apparently used originally for storage of tools, tack or feed. There’s a railroad spike driven into the wall in this room for hanging things – we’ve left it as it was when we found it.
I love this feature in the door. Apparently it originally had a rope handle, as the worn area shows years and years of use. Notice the beautiful old wood patina.
This is the door to another room in the main run, but they didn’t make the door the full height of the opening, I’m assuming for light. It’s interesting that there’s a small floor and room built above this room between the ground floor and the hay storage level and they’ve cut this hole for access. I’m not sure what it was used for.
This is further down the main runway. I believe the slats surrounded a corn crib. I find it interesting they built two half-doors here.
Now we’re looking back toward the front from the corn crib. There’s a very narrow shelf built under the first venting slat. Anyone know why this was done?
This is looking directly into the corn crib area. Try as I might I couldn’t get a straight shot of it – LOL. We tore out the rotting floor and now use this space to store our tractor and a few implements.
Now let’s go to the section on the far left of the runway. This is a long open storage area, maybe for buggies, etc? We use it for storing fencing materials & square bales to feed confined animals during treatment or weaning. The slats for the corn crib can be seen from this side as well. There are openings cut into the wall that lead into some of the rooms we saw from the main runway. There’s also the same narrow shelf that we saw at the corn crib on the other side. I’m sure it had a purpose I just have no idea what it was…
Here’s an inside shot of the wood-shingled roof, long since covered on the top side with tin roofing. Fascinating! What a cool ceiling view from this storage side!
I love this old post, maybe originally an electric pole or something and then used in the barn to hold tack?
A close-up of some of the old square nails used in the barn construction. The old square nails coupled with the texture of this very old wood is beautiful to me – love it!
And finally here is the view of the back of our barn where we have our working sweeps and chutes. Even though this barn is over 125 years old, it’s still a working barn and important to our daily ranching activities.
WHEW! Sorry for the last two days of picture-heavy posts but a pictorial tour of our old barn just wouldn’t be the same without, well PICTURES! This historic barn means so much to us and I hope you enjoyed your close-up tour.
~TxH~
Other Homesteading Posts
- Tour Our 1880’s Barn
- Evidence of A Past Homestead
- Evidence of (Yet ANOTHER) Old Homestead
- Top 10 Homesteading Posts Each Year
- Why Bother With This Homesteading Thing??!
- Teaching Free-Range Hens To Come HOME
- What I’ve Learned About Free-Range Eggs
- 3 Water-Catchment Systems We Use On The Homestead
- Soap Grows On TREES: Using Natural Soapberry Shampoo
Love Our 1880’s Barn? See More!
- Tour Our 1880’s Barn
- We Now Have TWO 1880’s Barns
- Refurbishing An Old Barn’s Chicken Coop
- Repurposing Old Barn Wood For Rustic Mirror
- Customized Reclaimed Barn Wood For Country Headboard
See ALL Our Barn Posts
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What a lovely barn!!! I’d love to see pictures of the hayloft and the little floor and room you mentioned that was accessed by that half-door. I think you said it was in between the door and the hayloft? Curious!
Thanks for sharing your barn – simply love it. I was raised on a farm so your pictures bring back lots of fond memories. Blessings, Ann
Thank YOU for stopping by, Ann! ~TxH~
That barn is gorgeous! Would make as a very pretty backdrop for wedding pictures.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes ma’am, Chelsea. One of the locals asked if we would let her daughter use the barn for her wedding pictures and they turned out gorgeous! Another local asked if he could use it for backdrop for his family photos and they turned out awesome as well. 🙂 ~TxH~
growing up on a 80 acre home. The barn looks almost like the one you have posted. We rented the home and my dad raised calves to sell. We did have one cow we milked.
When I married and left home my parents still rented the home till the property was sold.
Painters would come out and sit in the field and paint the barn. My Mom would look out the window and see the painters. The newspaper put the barn picture in the paper and I am so glad my Mom kept it. When my parents moved to Arizona she gave the the newpaper. I had the picture framed. It is on the wall in our guest bd.rm where my parent’s antique bd. set is. Thanks it was fun going back to memory lane.
Linda, what a great story. How wonderful that you have the picture framed in your guest room for precious memories! ~TxH~
Brings back some memories when my Paw Paw was alive. He was a full time cowboy, moved a lot, so we spent lots of time in old barns playing. My brother broke his elbow jumping from stalls similar to the ones in your photo out to grab beams over the run way.
Jeannie, we’ve been told a local broke his leg roller skating out of the hayloft. Lol. How cool that you have your own memories in a beautiful old barn. ~TxH~
Oh my goodness! Your barn is beautiful and I am so glad you shared!
Regina
(blushes) Thanks Regina – I love it so much and I’m thrilled that I could share! Thanks for stopping by. ~TxH~
I love the fact that you saw the beauty in this old barn and maintained as much of the old as possible. So much history and well, love in this old barn. Thank you for sharing.
Teresa, I must confess some of the reasoning for preservation of this beautiful barn was for selfish reasons as well. I have a tremendous soft spot in my heart for old barns – LOVE them! Thanks for stopping by. ~TxH~
Thanks Tammy, glad you enjoyed. I certainly loved sharing! 🙂 ~TxH~
What a beautiful structure… the wood looks so tactile
Mollyxxx
I certainly enjoyed the second day of pictures on your barn please continue with you unique views. I also like old homes that are left sitting in fields I always think of them as forgotten dreams……anyway thanks again I enjoy all that you post!….
Thanks Jane for your kind comment – I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. I enjoy seeing old barns & old homes as well, there’s plenty of opportunity here to listen for those whispers of the past! ~TxH~
I took my time walking through your old barn. The pictures were awesome. It’s easy to see why you love this old piece of history. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your kind words PK. This old barn is very special to me and I’m so glad I could share it! ~TxH~