Transverse Crib Barn

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Transverse crib barn, or four-square barn, consists of four cribs joined by a framework with distended facades and gabled ends. The structure is located on its original site and is one of the few such barns still in existence in Texas. Constructed sometime prior to 1867 entirely of hand-hewn timber, the barn was designated to store corn in the cribs, hay above, and animals and equipment inside.

Images

Transverse crib barn

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Lewis family built this ban sometime prior to 1869. Constructed of entirely hand-hewn timber, the barn is one of the last remaining structures of its kind in Texas. Two pairs of cribs separated by aisles under one roof create four areas for storing corn, cotton seeds, and other products. The far corners of the barn were originally used for Blacksmithing and cabinet-making. It is a versatile structure that is accessible from all four sides. Samuel Lewis, who owned the nearby Lewis-Wagner house, used this structure of part of his plantation. It was later used by Wagner family to store corn, hay, and other agricultural products.

Sources

Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Briscoe Center for American History, the University of Texas at Austin

Additional Information

Briscoe Center for American History