The Project
Because so many people have asked........ Up front - I want to tell you straight away - this is not a " Bridges of Madison County" type of book. Granted, I have met quite a few handsome men in Summers County but it simply is not that kind of book. It is a book about barns, people and farm life in one county in West Virginia.
When I learned that my grandfather Thompson’s barn was being torn down, before it fell down, I was filled with sadness. The sadness was for my failure to photograph the wonderful vernacular structure during the many years it stood at its best. My last photo of that barn is the one to the left at the top of the first page.
The idea to photograph the barns in Summers County began the fall of 2008. Deep in my mind I had the thought of a “picture book” to share with others. Over the winter I defined what I really wanted to accomplish.
In the spring of 2009 I set out with my cousin, Joyce Waltman, to begin. It was a whim that soon became a passion. Our first stop was on Seminole Road at the farm of Mason Crawford. Mr. Crawford invited me inside to see the hand hewn beams where the cows were kept. He explained that each cow was placed in the stall head first. In front of the row of stalls was a wooden trench. It was his job as a young boy to clear that trench each morning. Not a pleasant job. A few days later I was visiting with Mrs. Christine Lowry on Canterbury School Road at Buck. I listened to her as she told me how her barn was once on another ridge and how her father moved it to its present location. He used a keel to mark each board before he dismantled it and moved it to the present location. Mrs. Lowry, now 90 years young, had just finished a canning of cherries before I arrived. She lamented the fact that she would love to restore the barn but just wasn’t up to it right now.
I believe it was at that moment I knew it was meant for me to chronicle stories and publish a book about the “Barns of Summers County”. The photographs are important but the people and their stories behind the buildings was something that needed to be told.
Books and web sites already exist for Summers County churches, schools, cemeteries, and histories of families but nothing about the barns. It is high time this omission be rectified.
Over 240 barns built before 1950 have been photographed and documented. Approximately 35 people have donated photographs and stories of barns that are no longer standing for inclusion in the book. I press onward.
Remember, all proceeds from sale of the book go to the Summers County Public Library.
If you have questions or information you wish to share E-mail me at the space provided on this site or at barnsofsummerscounty@gmail.com . You can also call me at 540-786-7010 I'll get back to you quickly.
When I learned that my grandfather Thompson’s barn was being torn down, before it fell down, I was filled with sadness. The sadness was for my failure to photograph the wonderful vernacular structure during the many years it stood at its best. My last photo of that barn is the one to the left at the top of the first page.
The idea to photograph the barns in Summers County began the fall of 2008. Deep in my mind I had the thought of a “picture book” to share with others. Over the winter I defined what I really wanted to accomplish.
In the spring of 2009 I set out with my cousin, Joyce Waltman, to begin. It was a whim that soon became a passion. Our first stop was on Seminole Road at the farm of Mason Crawford. Mr. Crawford invited me inside to see the hand hewn beams where the cows were kept. He explained that each cow was placed in the stall head first. In front of the row of stalls was a wooden trench. It was his job as a young boy to clear that trench each morning. Not a pleasant job. A few days later I was visiting with Mrs. Christine Lowry on Canterbury School Road at Buck. I listened to her as she told me how her barn was once on another ridge and how her father moved it to its present location. He used a keel to mark each board before he dismantled it and moved it to the present location. Mrs. Lowry, now 90 years young, had just finished a canning of cherries before I arrived. She lamented the fact that she would love to restore the barn but just wasn’t up to it right now.
I believe it was at that moment I knew it was meant for me to chronicle stories and publish a book about the “Barns of Summers County”. The photographs are important but the people and their stories behind the buildings was something that needed to be told.
Books and web sites already exist for Summers County churches, schools, cemeteries, and histories of families but nothing about the barns. It is high time this omission be rectified.
Over 240 barns built before 1950 have been photographed and documented. Approximately 35 people have donated photographs and stories of barns that are no longer standing for inclusion in the book. I press onward.
Remember, all proceeds from sale of the book go to the Summers County Public Library.
If you have questions or information you wish to share E-mail me at the space provided on this site or at barnsofsummerscounty@gmail.com . You can also call me at 540-786-7010 I'll get back to you quickly.