Address:

3735 NC Highway 208 and Stonefly Road, Marshall, NC

Year Built: 1920 to 1940

Historic Owners: Richard Gahagan

Description:

Family members do not know the age of this barn. Being a tobacco barn, it is not older than the large Gahagan livestock barn. It has the somewhat atypical tier pole spacing.

A third and earlier type of tobacco raised in this area, called Bull Face, was raised for chewing tobacco marketed in twists. This type of tobacco, also called dark tobacco, grew only 36” +/- tall, and may account for the 39” tier pole spacing.

The Bull Face tobacco was smoke cured by building a fire on the dirt floor of the barn composed of green branches that smoke heavily but never ignite, thus slowly smoking the tobacco. Other material was added to the smoking to add flavor, such as apple culls and cherry bark.

The barn was lastly used for burley tobacco and likely has been since burley tobacco has been grown on this land, beginning in the 1920’s.

Historic Use: early burley tobacco or Bull Face tobacco

Type of Construction: Post and Beam, Sawn lumber, and Notched Logs

Siding Materials: Milled Boards and Exposed logs

Roof Shape: Gable

Roofing Materials: 5-V metal

Roof Framing: Milled rafters

Foundation: Concrete

Species of Wood: Various Other

Hinges: Commercial Metal

Fasteners:

Additional Features:

Outbuildings: None


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.

Richard Gahagan Barn