Address:
13581 NC Highway 209
Hot Springs NC 28743
Year Built: 1925
Historic Owners: Eulas “Billy” Askew
Description:
The Billy Askew barn, built by Eulus “Billy” Ray Askew (1897 to 1952). His father was T. W. Billy Askew, mother was Dell Woody.
The C. C. Askew family was one of the first to settle in this valley in 1820. This classic true gambrel roof livestock barn is one of the earliest of its type and sits at the south end of the large “upper flats” bottom land of Spring Creek. It has a true gambrel roof structure in which the roof rafters form a shallow roof truss, allowing the loft area to be free of vertical posts and thus better accommodating the moving and storage of hay. Another innovation of the times in this barn is a vertical pipe that houses the pulley rope for the hay fork mounted on the ridgeline rail. A horse would be stationed in the ground level hallway and walk forward, pulling the loaded hay fork into the large loft area in the floor above. The animal stalls were built to house the large draft horses that Billy Askew used in all aspects of the farm operation, and much of the original draft horse gear is present. The metal roofing, which appears to be the original roofing, is the unusual 3-U roofing which, according to oral tradition, was formed on site by a traveling roofing crew from Alcoa Aluminum Company, using a horse-drawn metal forming machine.
Historic Use: livestock, mostly draft horses, storage, utility
Type of Construction: Sawn lumber
Siding Materials: Milled Boards
Roof Shape: Gambrel
Roofing Materials: 3-U metal
Roof Framing: Milled rafters
Foundation: Wood sills on rock piers
Species of Wood: Chestnut and Various Other
Hinges: Wrought Iron and Commercial Metal
Fasteners: Wire nails
Additional Features:
hay fork with metal pipe for horse-drawn cable run
Outbuildings: multiple outbuildings that include a large corn crib, a chicken house, and equipment garage. A log flue-cured tobacco barn is located in the large bottomland across the highway
NOTE: The information above is an abridged list. For the full unabridged list (complete details), please download the PDF of the Data Form above.
NOTE: These photographs are meant to illustrate various features and construction elements of this barn.