Oscar Young Barn

Address:

255 Oscar Young Road
Mars Hill, NC 28754

Year Built: 1910-1920

Historic Owners: Oscar Young, born 1891son, Gerald Young, born 1930

Description:

The Oscar Young barn is part of a farmstead that included a relatively large cove of land, including a later dairy operation. Oscar Young, born 1891, built this barn in 1910 just before he deconstructed and rebuilt a nearby house after being married. It represents a relatively late use of hewn log cribs in this township, with V-notched logs, and was the primary utility barn housing their mules, Bill and Mert, a milk cow, and later a draft horse. The gambrel roof is original according to Gerald Young, born 1930, son of Oscar Young. If that is correct, it is the earliest known gambrel roof among those barns documented to date. It also had a silo at one time, the construction type not known. A shed roof addition was built in the late 20th century. This barn could have been altered during replacement of earlier split wood shingles, as was typical, that included a change in the roof shape from a gable roof to a slight gambrel profile, but this is not confirmed. The second level angle is so slight as to be barely perceptible, and as with other barns of this period, no explanation has been learned to explain this. It was adapted for curing of burley tobacco with the addition of tobacco tier poles, likely in the 1920’s.

Historic Use: livestock, general purpose

Type of Construction: Post and Beam, Sawn lumber, Hewn Timbers, Notched Logs, and Stud Frame

Siding Materials: Milled Boards, Lattice, and Exposed logs

Roof Shape: Gable

Roofing Materials: Unknown

Roof Framing: Milled rafters

Foundation: Wood sills on rock piers

Species of Wood: Chestnut

Hinges: Commercial Metal

Fasteners: Wire nails

Additional Features:

Outbuildings: none surviving

NOTE: The information above is an abridged list. For the full unabridged list (complete details), please download the PDF of the Data Form above.