PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY TOBACCO BARN SURVEY

FINAL REPORT

August 2015 Sonja Ingram, Field Representative, Preservation Virginia

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Preservation Virginia is grateful to The Virginia Department of Historic Resources and Pittsylvania County Government for providing the funding for the Pittsylvania County Tobacco Barns Survey. Preservation Virginia would also like to thank the dedicated volunteers who, without them, this survey could not have been completed. They include Sarah Capps, Deborah Dix, Barbara Hinkle, Mark Joyner, and Jean Stone. Architectural historian, Debra McClane, also greatly assisted with the survey and recorded 26 sites and over 60 tobacco barns alone. Preservation Virginia would also like to thank Mike Pulice, Casey Jones and Quatro Hubbard from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources for the assistance they provided.

Barbara Hinkle, Jean Stone and Mark Joyner received Special Appreciation Awards from Preservation Virginia in 2014 for volunteering with the Tobacco Barns Survey. Not pictured are Sarah Capps, Deborah Dix and Debra McClane.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I: Introduction……………………………………………………………..….…

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Part II: Background Preservation Virginia’s Tobacco Barns Program………………………..……

Page 5

Tobacco History and the Region………………………………………..……

Page 5

History of Tobacco Barns …………………………………..………………..

Page 7

Two Types of Tobacco Barns ……………………………………………….

Page 13

Part III: Survey Design …………………………………………………......................

Page 16

Types of Data Collected……………………………………………………….

Page 17

………………………………………………………

Page 18

Barn Types ……………………………………………………………………

Page 19

Barn Construction Techniques………………………………………………..

Page 19

Dates of Construction ………………………………………………………….

Page 24

Significant Barns ……………………………………………………………..

Page 26

Other Significant Structures…………………………………………………...

Page 34

Part V: Summary ……………………………………….…………………………......

Page 37

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………

Page 36

Part IV: Results of the Survey

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PART I: INTRODUCTION From 2013-2015, Preservation Virginia, with the assistance of volunteers, completed an architectural survey of tobacco barns in Pittsylvania County with funding from a Cost Share Grant provided by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The survey was part of Preservation Virginia’s larger Tobacco Barns Preservation Program which began in 2012 and was designed to raise awareness of the importance of tobacco barns as a tangible symbol of the state’s rich tobacco heritage.

The purpose of the survey was to document physical and historical information of historic tobacco barns in Pittsylvania County, Virginia for research and educational purposes and future preservation planning including the development of heritage tourism initiatives.

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PART II: BACKGROUND PRESERVATION VIRGINIA’S TOBACCO BARN PROGRAM Preservation Virginia, a private non-profit organization and statewide historic preservation leader founded in 1889 has been dedicated to perpetuating and revitalizing Virginia's cultural, architectural and historic heritage for 125 years. Tobacco heritage is a central element of Virginia’s history, tying the state together in countless ways. Some of the leading reminders of tobacco heritage are the historic tobacco barns that still exist, especially in southern regions of the state. Recognizing the lack of programs to protect the state’s historic rural and agricultural structures and recognizing that there are few heritage resources that are as unique and original to Southside Virginia as tobacco barns, Preservation Virginia launched the Tobacco Barns Preservation Program in 2012. The program was designed with several components including public workshops on barn repair, an oral history project to record stories of elderly tobacco farmers, a grants project to provide funding to repair tobacco barns and an architectural survey of tobacco barns, which is the subject of this report.

M and M Construction repairing a tobacco pack barn as part of Preservation Virginia/JTI Mini-Grants Project to repair barns in a 3-county region.

TOBACCO HISTORY AND THE REGION The variety of tobacco grown by Native Virginians, Nicotiana rustica, was considered bitter and disagreeable to Europeans arriving in Virginia in the 17th century. By 1612, John Rolfe began experimenting with different types of tobacco including a milder Spanish tobacco from the West Indies 5

known as Nicotiana tabacum. Rolfe’s tobacco was shipped to England and proved to be popular affecting more settlers in Virginia to plant tobacco along the Tidewater’s river bottoms. By the late 17th century, tobacco dominated Virginia’s economy, replacing the fur trade with Native Virginians as Virginia’s most productive industry.

In 1680, the General Assembly passed the first act that created port towns to establish tobacco warehouses. Tobacco was stored and inspected at the warehouses before it was exported to England. Fluctuating tobacco prices during King William’s War, Queen Anne’s War and the American Revolution caused many farmers to switch to growing food crops. Tobacco production continued, however, and as the Tidewater soils were depleted, tobacco production spread to more western parts of the state. Bright-Leaf Tobacco. Most of the tobacco grown in Virginia in the 17th and 18th centuries was a strong, dark-leaf variety but sometime after the War of 1812, demand for a milder, lighter, more aromatic tobacco arose. Farmers had been experimenting with different tobacco varieties and different curing processes for years and growers in the Virginia and North Carolina Piedmont began to notice that sandy, thinner soils produced less robust tobacco plants. Around 1839 Stephen Slade, an enslaved person owed by Abisha Slade, near the Virginia border in Caswell County, North Carolina, accidentally produced the first true “bright” tobacco by using charcoal to quickly restart a fire in a tobacco barn. The surge of heat turned the leaves bright yellow. Using Stephen’s discovery, Abisha Slade developed a system for producing “bright” tobacco with tobacco grown in thin soils and charcoal for heat-curing.

Bright-leaf tobacco historical marker in Caswell County, NC.

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Around the same time, the flue-curing method which carried heat around the interior of a barn by flues and kept smoke from infiltrating the leaves, was being perfected and was found to be well suited for the new brightly- colored tobacco. The terms “flue-cured” and “bright-leaf” tobacco eventually became almost synonymous. The fairly infertile, sandy soils of the Piedmont were suddenly profitable and formerly unproductive Piedmont farms reached 20–30 times their previous worth. By 1855, the Piedmont region led Virginia’s tobacco market.

Tobacco farmer carrying leaves to a barn in Pittsylvania County, ca 1940. Image courtesy of Danville Historical Society.

By the outbreak of the Civil War, the town of Danville, Virginia had developed a bright-leaf market for the surrounding area. Danville was also the main railway head for Confederate soldiers going to the front. Soldiers brought bright-leaf tobacco with them from Danville to the lines and traded it with each other and Union soldiers. By the end of the war, a national market had quickly developed for bright-leaf tobacco. Since the mid-19th century, tobacco growing and processing has dominated Virginia's economy and it continues to be an important part of the state’s economy today.

HISTORY OF TOBACCO BARNS In the first few years of tobacco cultivation in Virginia, curing tobacco plants consisted of covering the leaves with hay and leaving them in the field to cure or "sweat." Early settlers would also cut the entire stalk of tobacco and 7

either peg or split them and hang them on sticks. The plants were then placed on scaffolds around an open-sided shelter to air- cure. After curing, the tobacco was placed on tiered poles or crossbeams inside the shelter. A painting by an unknown artist (Above right) shows this type of shelter being used in Virginia in the early 17th century.

By the 1620's, wood-framed and weather-boarded tobacco barns were in use to air- cure tobacco. The average size of the barns was 30 by 20 but larger sizes were also present. These barns most likely were built similar to the “Virginia” houses of the time. Virginia houses’ major components included minimally prepared timbers, simplified joinery, earth- fast construction and thin, riven (hand-split) clapboards of oak or chestnut for the siding and the roof. The Virginia house was devised through adaptation by the settlers to their new, heavily forested, humid environment and through

Reconstructed “Virginia” house from Yorktown, Virginia.

experimentation with different framing methods. (Stone, 2004).

Eighteenth century tobacco barns likely remained very similar to 17th century barns using the air-curing method; however, the setting of small, controlled open fires in the barns (fire-curing) began to grow in popularity. The fires were covered with wet sawdust to prevent them (or the barn) from igniting.

19TH Century Barns and the Flue-Curing System. During the

A reconstructed 18th century tobacco barn at Yorktown, Virginia.

early 19th-century there appears to have been a considerable shift to fire-curing tobacco owing to the demand in Europe for a smoky flavored tobacco. (Salmon and Salmon, 2013).

Also in the nineteenth century the flue-curing method, which used masonry furnaces built into the perimeter walls of the barns, was starting to become popular. The flues were usually trenches cut into the barns’ dirt floor. The trenches appear to have been open at first but were later covered with sheet iron through which heat would radiate into the barn. As the hot air was drawn upward by a vent in top of the

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barn, it passed evenly through the tobacco leaves hanging from the tier poles. The flues also kept smoke from infiltrating the leaves.

Nineteenth-century flue-curing barns were built in a variety of methods: timber -framed, wood-framed, log and in rare instances, stone. A timber- framed tobacco barn fastened with mortise and tenon joints and wooden pegs, built in the 1820s-1830s, exists in Pittsylvania County (Nuckols Site, 071-5406). A rare ca. 1800 stone tobacco barn currently stands at Green Level Plantation in Campbell County, Virginia.

A 50 by 65 ft. field- stone tobacco barn at Green Hill Plantation, Campbell County. The interior of the barn is divided into three sections and four small rooms are located in the four corners. Tier poles extend into the ceiling. There is no mention of fireboxes in the HABS documentation. The lack of fireboxes and the four vents in the east and west walls indicate that the barn was used to air-cure or possibly fire-cure tobacco. Image courtesy of HABS.

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The flue-curing system required that barns be airtight and to be able to withstand nearly five tons of weight, which led to an increased number of sturdier log barns being built. Many early flue-curing log tobacco barns resembled log cabins, especially in their small size (about 18 square feet).

The logs were typically pine or oak and could be hand-hewn or round. Some barns have lower logs of oak and upper logs of pine. To reinforce the airtightness, the spaces between the logs were filled

An early 19th century tobacco barn on the Gilliam- Irving Farm in Appomattox County, Virginia. This barn has two parts- a log section and a frame section. The log section (left) has a steeply pitched roof and interior tier poles. Openings in the foundation appear to indicate that fireboxes and flues were in use. The frame part also has tier poles. An interior door connects the two parts. The frame barn may have been built first and the log section added later as flue-curing became more popular.

with chinking made of small pieces of split wood or stones and clay daubing. The barns had gabled roofs covered in cedar shingles with vents that could be opened or closed from the ground. The foundations were made of field- stone and the openings were minimal with either one or two small doors. Many flue-curing tobacco barns had “lean-to” sheds built attached to the outside walls. Lean-tos served multiple purposes including providing a shady place for the stringing operation, protecting the fireboxes from rain and providing shelter to the attendant who slept overnight at the barn during the curing process. Small ledges with shed roofs, often referred to as “eyebrows,” were also commonly built onto the sides of barns to protect logs. Eyebrows were typically covered with cedar shingles.

Curing barn in North Carolina with a cedar- shingled eyebrow on left side and a lean-to shed on front. Image courtesy of Caswell County Historical Society.

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In eastern regions of the state and in some pockets of the Piedmont (Near Drakes Branch in Charlotte County) flue-cured, bright-leaf tobacco was never grown and only dark tobacco was cultivated subsequently the air-tight, flue-curing barns were not needed. In these areas, the tobacco barns retain their air-curing or fire-curing characteristics of being open, airy, wood-framed structures.

Early 20th century frame barn in Dinwiddie County used to air-dry tobacco.

Whichever construction technique was used, the building of a barn was a major social event even until the mid- 20th century, taking 10 to 15 men one or two days. Some scholars maintain that flue-curing tobacco barns are more than utilitarian, but are a testimony to a way of life and a microcosmic culture that varied even from one county to another. (Catherine Bishir, 2005). 20TH Century Tobacco Barns. Flue-curing tobacco barns changed little from the late 19th to the 20th century. Tobacco barns built in the 20th century were typically 18 feet by 18 feet and constructed of logs with a tin-covered gable roof and a fieldstone foundation.

Because of the scarcity of good pine, later flue-curing barn builders were often forced to try other materials especially in more eastern parts of Virginia and North Carolina. These efforts generally proved

A typical 20th century log tobacco barn. Tin is being used as siding on parts of the barn to improve insulation.

unsatisfactory due to the poor insulation of frame barns. Various types of siding such as sheet metal, asphalt or tar paper were installed over the siding to improve insulation and a small number of barns were parged or stuccoed with plaster or concrete. By 1925, some tobacco barns were being built of concrete block.

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A stucco- sided barn from Caswell County, North Carolina.

Later Heating Systems and Bulk Barns. Before World War II wood was the preferred

A stuccoed tobacco barn in Caswell County, NC.

fuel for flue-curing barns. After World War II, tobacco growers began to switch from wood to fuel oil as a heating source, but flues that carried the combustion gases through the barn were still in place. In the early 1970s, growers began to switch to natural or propane gas, which was more readily available than fuel oil. Because gas burns so cleanly, growers were able to discard the flues, and began using direct-fired barns. In

Interior of a ca. 1950s CMU tobacco barn with fireboxes and flues being used with fuel oil.

both cases, the older tobacco barns could be retrofitted with oil or gas burners.

As tobacco production continued to mechanize in the late 1960s, more fuel efficient, all-metal, prefabricated, rectangular “bulk” barns began replacing traditional barns. Interior racks in bulk barns could hold more tobacco per curing cycle than older barns and automated controls eliminated labor intensive tasks. Bulk barns continue to be the preferred type of curing barn in the 21st century.

Before bulk barns were widely used, some farmers began to experiment with CMU and metal “transitional” bulk barns in the 1950s-1960s. Transitional bulk barns were rectangular concrete block barns that had interior racks and used oil or gas heating systems. The owner of one of the transitional barns (Lawrence-Wilson Barn) stated that the barns did not function as well as intended and were quickly superseded by the prefabricated, metal bulk barns. (See Significant Barns below). 12

Typical mid-late 20th century bulk barns.

TWO TYPES OF TOBACCO BARNS Tobacco barns fall into one of two categories: curing barns and pack barns. Curing barns are used to cure tobacco leaves after they are harvested while pack barns or pack “houses” are used to store, humidify, strip, grade and tie tobacco before it is taken to the markets. Pack barns are (oddly) rarely mentioned in historic descriptions of tobacco farms but they played just as important a role as curing barns for tobacco production.

Curing Barns. Curing barns have been in use in Virginia since the 17th century. These barns have been constructed in a variety of methods (woodframed, log-built, timber-framed) depending on the date of construction and region of the state (See History of Tobacco Barns below); but the interiors always contain tier poles in which tobacco leaves were hung on sticks to cure. The open spaces created by the tier poles are referred to as “rooms” or “bents.” Earlier tobacco curing barns had up to 6 or 7 rooms, but most late 19th

Tobacco curing barn in Pittsylvania County.

– early 20th century curing barns have 4 or 5 rooms.

The various types of curing methods (air-curing, fire-curing and flue-curing) result in different barn configurations and construction techniques. Air-curing and fire-curing barns are typically open and airy 13

while flue-curing barns are airtight. Flue-curing barns also have furnaces, often known as fireboxes, which are used during the curing process. The fireboxes were typically built of brick or stone into the perimeter walls of the barns. A system of flues or pipes originated from the firebox and circulated heat around the interior of the barn. Most of the early wood-burning fireboxes were replaced by more efficient oil or gas burners in the mid-20th century.

A brick and concrete firebox in a 20th century barn.

Pack Barns. Pack barns were used for several phases of tobacco leaf processing including storing the cured tobacco leaves, adding moisture back into the leaves for easier handling (ordering), stripping leaves from the stalk (this was done before the 1920s before the leaves were primed or pulled individually from the stalk), grading tobacco leaves (which was also called stripping in some regions of the state) and the art of tying bundles of leaves for market. Pack barns exhibit a remarkable variety of styles; however, most have three parts: a ground floor, a storage loft and an ordering pit. Ordering pits were dirt floor basements that contain rudimentary wood frames where cured tobacco leaves were hung so that moisture would infiltrate the leaves to make them pliable for the grading and tying processes.

Extant pack houses in Southside Virginia can be of log construction or wood-framed or a combination of the two. Some pack houses consisted of one structure with a ground floor, a loft and a pit; while others were built of several adjoining structures that served distinct purposes. (See Part IV: Results of the Survey).

A pack barn owned by the Sparks Family (071-5399) in Pittsylvania County is partially log-constructed and partially wood-framed. The central structure was used to store cured tobacco on tier poles that extend to the ceiling. The room on the right was used for stripping and grading and the room on the left was for general storage. The ordering pit is under the stripping room.

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A one-room, wood-framed pack barn owned by Elizabeth Reynolds (071-5466) in Pittsylvania County.

The interior of the pack barn showing the trap door leading to a severely eroded ordering pit.

A log and frame pack barn owned by the Gosney Family (071-5397) in Pittsylvania County showing various sections and roof configurations. The taller, log section was used to store cured leaves, the frame middle section was used to grade and tie leaves and the partially below-ground, shed-roofed section in the foreground is the stripping room. The ordering pit is under the center section.

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PART III: SURVEY DESIGN The survey focused on historic tobacco barns as rural, agricultural resources associated with tobacco production in Pittsylvania County in the 19th and 20th centuries. In many instances the barns were located within domestic assemblages. Since the focus of the survey was tobacco barns, most of the other historic dwellings and structures were briefly noted, mapped and photographed; however, in some cases they were fully surveyed. Volunteers were trained in using the Virginia Department of Historic Resources survey guidelines and architectural photography.

The coverage area for the survey was Pittsylvania County. Pittsylvania County lies in the southern Piedmont and borders North Carolina and was chosen for the survey due to its large number of still standing tobacco barns. The barns surveyed were acquired in two different methods: A public announcement was made

Pittsylvania County indicated in red.

in local news sources requesting that barn owners who were interested in having their barns surveyed to contact Preservation Virginia. To insure that the entire county was covered geographically, barn owners were also contacted directly in underrepresented areas of the county.

TYPES OF DATA COLLECTED Department of Historic Resources reconnaissance and intensive survey forms were used during the survey. Data shown in the chart below was gathered in the field. Field maps were drawn for each site and a series of medium-high quality (5 megabytes or higher) digital

Example field map.

photographs were taken of each barn. In several instances, the barn owners accompanied the surveyors and were able to provide important historical information about the barn or property. 16

Overall Site Data

Barn Specific Data

Overall site description

Date or period of construction

Brief description of any nearby or associated resources

Exterior descriptions including form and design, construction techniques, openings, roof and siding and other building materials, chinking and daubing and any character defining features. Interior descriptions including curing systems (fireboxes or flues present, retrofitted, etc). Accurate building dimensions Descriptions of lean-to sheds, or other additions Description of alterations Physical condition assessment Possible threats to the resource

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PART IV: RESULTS OF SURVEY A total of 232 tobacco barns (188 curing barns, 35 pack barns, 9 others) were surveyed. The majority of the sites recorded were moderate sized early- to mid- 20th century rural domestic assemblages that contained one or more tobacco barns; however some of the sites consisted of only tobacco barns either singularly or in clusters.

The barns surveyed represent a sample of the standing tobacco barns in Pittsylvania County.

Typical farmstead in Pittsylvania County showing main dwelling (in background) and tobacco barns.

County tax records indicate that over 2,000 tobacco barns currently exist in Pittsylvania County. This number is not inclusive since many tobacco barns are within wooded and out- ofthe- way locations and are not subsequently taxed. The survey attempted to investigate all parts of the county; however, barn owner interest was greatest in the Callands community, therefore a disproportionate number of tobacco barns were surveyed in the Callands area. Northern parts of the county,

A large cluster of tobacco barns in Pittsylvania County. Large clusters of log curing barns were more common before farmers started using modern bulk barns in the mid-20th century.

north of Gretna, are underrepresented; however, the northern parts of the county do appear to contain a lower number of standing tobacco barns.

It is unknown if this is due to a large number of tobacco barns being demolished in the northern parts of the county or if this area historically had less tobacco production and therefore fewer barns. During the survey, it appeared that the largest concentration of extant tobacco barns are located in the central and eastern parts of the county in the Blairs, Keeling, Kentuck and Ringgold communities. 18

TYPES OF BARNS SURVEYED The majority of barns surveyed were curing barns; however, 35 pack barns, 3 barns that served as both curing barns and pack houses and 1 barn that functioned as both a curing barn and a prizery were also surveyed (Nuckols Farm, 071-5406). A prizery was a room or building where tobacco that was ready to be shipped was prized or tightly packed by a large screw-like device into hogsheads. The function of 5 barns was unknown either due to limited access or the condition of the barn. Type of Barns

Number of Barns

Curing Barns

188

Pack Barns

35

Curing and Pack Barns

3

Curing and Prizery Barn

1

Unknown

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BARN CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES Curing Barn Exteriors. The majority of the curing barns surveyed were log-constructed with V-notched corners, tin-covered gable-roofs and field stone foundations. A small percentage of the barns were square-notched, diamond-notched or dovetail notched. Most of the logs were hand-hewn. Most of the chinking consisted of small pieces of split wood and the daubing was clay; however, small stones were used for chinking in some instances and some of the

Hand-hewn logs, Compton barn.

barns were daubed with mortar.

Unusual stone chinking, Jones Barn

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The majority of log barns surveyed were V-notched (top, left). A small number were dovetail (top, right), diamond (bottom, left) or square (bottom, right) notched.

Construction Method

Number of

Types of Barns Surveyed

Barns Surveyed Timber-framed

1

1 curing/pack barn

Log

165

153 curing, 11 pack, 1 curing/prizery

Log and Wood-Framed

11

9 pack barns, 2 pack/curing barns

Wood-Framed

32

18 curing, 12 pack, 2 unknown

Wood-Framed and

2

all pack barns

Concrete Block

7

6 curing, 1 pack barn

Prefabricated Metal

9

all curing barns

Unknown

5

Concrete Block

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Curing Barns Interiors. The interiors of the curing barns consisted of one undivided room with a dirt floor and tier poles that started approximately 5-6 feet from the floor and extended to the ceiling. Only the barns that had been converted into cabins had concrete or wooden floors. The majority of barns surveyed had been converted in the 20th century to use fuel oil or gas. In most of these cases, the original stone or brick fireboxes had been removed. A few barns retained the original fireboxes.

An oil burner next to an intact stone firebox.

Intact stone firebox, F.L. Reynolds Farm (071-5471).

Pack Barn Exteriors. Because of the many varied configurations some of the most remarkable barns surveyed were pack barns. Most pack barns contain a ground floor, a storage loft and an ordering pit. Some of the pack houses surveyed were of log construction, some were wood-framed and others were 21

both log and frame. Some pack houses consisted of one structure while others were built of several adjoining buildings that served distinct purposes.

Type of Pack Barn

Number of

Construction

Pack Barns

Log

10

Frame

12

Log and Frame

10

Frame and Concrete Block

2

Concrete Block

1

One-room log pack house with a loft and an ordering pit basement. C. Reynolds North Briar Mtn. (071-5476).

2-story, wood-framed pack house. Rigney, (071-5401).

Part log (center) and part wood-framed (flanking) pack house. Chapin-Oakes, (071-5383).

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A mid- 20th century wood-frame and concrete block pack barn.

Pack Barn Interiors. All of the pack barns surveyed contained a room or section for storage, a room used for stripping and grading leaves and an ordering pit basement. Some had separate rooms for the stripping and grading processes.

The storage room was often the central and largest part of the barn. Some of the storage rooms were open to the ceiling while others contained lofts. Most contained tier poles.

Stripping and grading rooms were often small rooms with shed roofs attached to the central storage room. Some of the stripping rooms were partially underground presumably to help contain the moisture in the leaves while they were being handled. All of the pack barns surveyed had ordering pits. Almost all had trap door entrances that lead to the storage rooms or the stripping rooms.

Typical pack barn interior storage room with tier poles.

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Typical grading room interior containing a low, long table where leaves were placed for grading. The leaves were graded according to color and quality before they were tied in bundles to be taken to the market.

DATES OF CONSTRUCTION As earlier stated, the majority of barns surveyed were built in the early- mid 20th century; however, dating the barns was not an easy task, so some of the barns recorded as 20th century may have been built in the 19th century. In several instances barn owners were able to provide reliable dates of construction. Six barns were positively identified as being built in the 19th century. These were located at the Compton Farm Farm (071-5396), the Nuckols Farm 071-5406), the Cocke Farm or Chestnut Lane (071-5443). Two barns on the Sparks farm and a barn on the Dorothy Mahan Farm appeared strongly to be 19th century; however, these were not verified.

Approximate Date of

Number of

Construction as Listed on

Barns

Survey Forms th

19 Century

6 confirmed

th

Late 19 -Early 20th

103

Early- Mid 20th

113

Late 20th

10

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19th Century Barns. In general, the 19th century barns were better built than 20th century barns. The access to old growth trees is evident in the large oak, including chestnut, and yellow pine logs. Many tobacco barns built in the 19th century also have superior corner notching. The size of the barns appears to have remained constant (approximately 18 by 18 feet and 20-25 feet in height) from the late19th into the 20th centuries; however, earlier 19th century barns were larger, taller

19th century curing barn, Compton Farm

and had steeper pitched roofs as shown in the barns on the Nuckols Farm, Site 071-5407. The unusual ca. 1800 stone tobacco barn at Green Level in Campbell County measures 60 by 75 feet.

The method of production at that time was to cut the entire stalk of tobacco at one time and hang it on sticks in the barns which required taller barns with a steeply built roof pitch. Later bright-leaf tobacco leaves were primed or pulled individually and hung on sticks which required less distance between tier poles. The only timber -framed barn surveyed (Nuckols, Barn 1) was built in the 19th century. (See Notable Barns below).

19th century curing barn, Nuckols Farm

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SIGNIFICANT BARNS Because of the many varied designs and configurations, some of the most remarkable barns surveyed were pack barns. Pack barns have been ignored by historians and need to be researched more fully across the state. All of the 19th century barns are significant due to the small number of 19th century tobacco barns that remain in Southside. Below are descriptions of some of the most (but not all) significant barns that were surveyed.

Compton Farm Pack Barn (071-5396). The Compton Site is a domestic assemblage in the Blairs Community, approximately 4 miles north of Danville. The site consists of a Late Victorian main dwelling house, a small brick building used to house carbide gas, a kitchen, a stable, a wash house, a smoke house, a log corn crib, a chicken coop, a well house, a possible carriage house, three tobacco barns and three sheds.

The main house was surveyed in 2012 and the three

Main House on Compton Farm

tobacco barns- two log curing barns and one log/frame pack barn- were surveyed in 2013 as part of this survey. The tobacco barns on the site are exceptional and date to the 19th century. The pack house is extremely well made and is one of the best examples seen in Pittsylvania County.

Outbuildings, Compton Farm

The Compton pack barn is a mid-late 19th century pack barn that consists of four different structures or sections, each of which served a separate function. The sections connect in the front by a large hipped roof with supporting open-sided, lean-to sheds. 26

Section 1 is a V-notched, hand hewn log structure in the center of the barn. It has a side- gabled tin roof and a stone foundation. The gables are

Section 1

covered in horizontal, lapped wood siding. A wood-framed entrance door is present on the southern elevation, facing the road. Windows are present in both gable ends, the southern of which is a double hung 6 over 6

Sections 3 and 4

window with wooden sashes. Front elevation of 19th century pack barn, Compton Farm

The interior of the ground floor of Structure 1 consists of one open room with a wooden floor and 7 rows of round tier poles where tobacco was stored. Under the ground floor is an ordering pit that is accessed by a trap door. An interior wood-framed door on the ground floor leads to section 2.

Section 2 is a gable roofed, wood-framed section with a stone foundation that is attached to the rear (western

Interior of Section 1

elevation) of the log structure. Double hung 6 over 6 windows with wood sashes are present on both outer walls. Two doors are present on the rear or western elevation, one that provides access to a ground floor and one that provides access to a basement. Because the ground surface slopes to the west, the basement foundation is raised in the back and has a large, 15-pane

Section 2

window. Similar windows are cut into the foundation on the northern and southern elevations to provide natural light to the basement. 27

The ground floor interior of Section 2 also appers to have been used for storage. It has an open room with tier poles that extend to the ceiling peak. Section 2's basement is divided into two rooms. The westernmost room accessed by the door on the back is 4-5 feet below ground. Inside, a wood framed doorway leads to the ordering pit which is approximately 3 feet lower than the first basement room. The ordering pit contains frames made

Rear of Section 2

of rough-cut poles. At the far end of the ordering pit is a wooden ladder that leads to the trap door in section/structure #1's floor.

Interior of Section 2

Ordering pit showing ladder leading to trap door

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Sections 3 and 4 are wood-framed structures attached to either side of the central log structure 1. These were presumable used for stripping and or grading. A large hipped roof covers the flanking structures and wraps around the front of the barn, supported by posts, to function as a shelter.

A date of "1896" is written in chalk in the basement; however it was not verified that this is the date of construction. The owner stated that he knew the barn was built in the 19th century but did not know the exact date. Many cut nails were observed on the barn. The barn is in good condition and it is one of the best examples of a tobacco pack house recorded during the 2013 survey. Two significant 18th century log curing barns also exist on the site.

Yates/Mountain Land Company Pack House (071-5118). The Yates Farm/Mountain Land Company Site was a late 19th-early 20th century farmstead known as the Carter/Yates Farm that contained a log dwelling, a cemetery and an assemblage of agricultural buildings as described during a 1999 survey. Three tobacco barns remained in 2013 and were resurveyed as part of the Tobacco Barns Survey Project. Barn 1 was a pack barn and Barns 2 and 3 were curing barns. The main dwelling and other outbuildings were destroyed when Route 29 was expanded in the 1960s. As of 2014, all of the structures had been moved or demolished. The cemetery was also moved to the eastern side of State Highway 29. The pack barn was (before deconstruction) an unusual and impressive log- built, multi-structure pack barn.

The barn was rectangular and measured 72.9 by 22 feet in plan. All four of the structures are built of logs and had tin, gable roofs.

The two structures on the ends were used to store cured leaves while the middle structures were used to grade or strip and tie leaves for market. An ordering pit existed under the two southernmost structures. Yates pack house before deconstruction

From the exterior, it appears that the four parts are separate barns that are abutted together; however, they all share interior walls and it appears that they were built at the same time. Small interior doorways exist

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to allow ingress and egress from one structure to another. The sense that they are separate barns is due to the fairly dramatic difference in height between the two end structures and the two middle structures.

The owner reported that the barn had been constructed at least as far back as 1930. The few nails observed in the doors were all wire nails which would support this date range. The barn was in fair condition before dismantled. No major deterioration of the logs was observed and the roof appeared mostly intact. The owner stated that he intended to rebuild this barn on his farm on the eastern side of State Highway 29 as well as the two curing barns.

Chapin/Oakes Pack House and Transitional Bulk Barn (071-5383). The Chapin/Oakes site is a rural farmstead in an open agricultural field in the Callands Community in the western part of Pittsylvania County. The site consists of a main dwelling, a secondary smaller dwelling and ten agricultural outbuildings, six of which are tobacco barns. Two of the tobacco barns (Barns 3 and 5) are notable.

The Chapin-Oakes pack barn (Barn 3) is a good example of a pack barn built with central structure made of logs and two adjoining frame structures. A small number of these types of pack barns with a central log structure flanked by frame structures were surveyed. The central building was used to store cured leaves. The two adjoining structures were used for grading and tying leaves. An ordering pit exists under the central building.

Chapin/Oakes pack barn

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Barn 5 on the Chapin/Oakes site was built by the farmer in the 1960s and represents an intermediate or transitional type of bulk curing barn. At that time some farmers began to experiment with the bulk barn concept of using concrete and metal and more efficient heating methods.

Barn 5 measures 40.7 feet in length and 11.7 feet in width and was created of stacked CMU blocks later partially covered in tin. The front of the barn had two large doors where interior racks could be removed and filled with leaves. The rear of the barn was divided into two sections and contained the furnace which burned either oil or gas. Transitional bulk barns are uncommon with only two being observed and surveyed in 2013.

Chapin/Oakes “transitional” bulk barn

Nuckols’ 18th Century Barns (071-5406). This site is a historically significant, early 19th century domestic farmstead, known as Whitefall Farm, Stonewold or the Nuckols-Fitzgerald Farm in the Mt Airy community of Pittsylvania County.

It consists of a ca. 1820-30s timber-framed dwelling house (Image right), six other structures including three tobacco barns and a cemetery. The cemetery exists in a field to the east of the main house. Three of the tobacco barns were surveyed in 2013; two of which were two of the earliest tobacco barns surveyed in 2013. The number of existing timber- framed structures (dwellings or agricultural buildings) in Pittsylvania County is low, although the exact number is unknown since the county has not been fully surveyed.

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Nuckols Barn 1. Barn 1 is likely the earliest barn surveyed in 2013; built ca.1820s-1830s at the same time the dwelling house was constructed. The barn is also the only tobacco barn surveyed in 2013 of timber-framed construction. The barn was originally a curing barn but was later converted into a pack house. Nuckols timber-framed barn

It rests on a 2-3 foot tall stone foundation and has a gabled tin-covered roof. The bottom roof timbers extend beyond the roof plate to form a shelf. The owner stated that the barn's roof at one time was more steeply pitched, but his Grandfather cut the rafters to decrease the steepness. The barn's siding is hand- sawn vertical wooden board and batten siding fastened with cut nails and appears to be original to the barn.

The interior of the barn has six bents. The majority of extant tobacco barns have either 4 or 5 rooms. Barn 1 and 2 of this site are two of a handful of barns surveyed in 2013 that have 6 bents or rooms.

Timbers with mortise and tenon joints, interior of Barn 1.

The southern elevation has an original wooden door and two double hung, 6 over 6 wooden windows. The northern elevation also has two double hung, 6 over 6 wood windows that are covered with wood. A second door is present on the eastern elevation. The windows may have been added when the barn was converted into a pack house to allow light into the barn. The windows have been altered but appear to be mortise and tenoned joints.

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Nuckols Barn 2. Barn 2 is an early-mid 19th century curing barn that was at one time used as a prizery. The barn is taller than 20th century barns and the tier poles are farther apart than most barns. The barn is a V-notched, hand-hewn, log tobacco curing barn. Many of the logs are white pine and are over 12 inches wide. The barn sits on a stone foundation and has a steep gable roof covered in tin. Nuckols barns 1 and 2 are remarkable examples of 19th century tobacco barns.

19th century Nuckols’ log barn (Barn 2).

Interior of Barn 2showing height, logs and tier poles.

Sparks Curing Barns (071-5399). This Sparks Farm is a rural farmstead consisting of numerous historic agricultural buildings including six tobacco barns. The pack house is notable as well as two of the tobacco barns. Also significant is a V-notched, hand-hewn log stable. (See Other Significant Structures below)

The two curing barns are unusual due to their small size and steeply pitched roofs. The interior of Barn 2 was accessible and has 5 rooms or bents which appear to be indicative of an earlier date of construction. Square cut nails were observed in the wood siding.

Two of the Sparks’ curing barns are unusual in their small size but steeply pitched roofs. They also have 5 bents.

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Williams Partitioned Curing Barn (071-5405). This site consists of a linear group of four tobacco barns in an open field accessed by a long gravel driveway. Barn 1 is a very unusual, rectangular log curing barn that measures 31 by 18 feet. The barn contains three separate pens divided by interior log walls which functioned as curing rooms. No other curing barns recorded during the survey had separate curing rooms like these.

Each pen measures 10 feet wide and contains 7 rows of tier poles and 2 "rooms" or bents. Each of the three curing rooms has a separate wooden Exterior of the Williams curing barn with three separate curing pens.

entrance door.

Interior view of one of the pens.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURES Many other significant agricultural structures and dwelling houses were observed during the survey. As noted earlier, not much time was spent on these structures due to the focus on tobacco barns. Four of the most significant are briefly described below.

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Sparks’ Log Stable (071-5399). This is an early 1.5 story, V-notched, hand-hewn log stable. Cut nails were observed in the siding. Only one other log stable was observed during the survey.

Mahan’s Log Dwelling/Barn (071-5408). This site is a domestic complex containing two dwellings and one tobacco curing barn that stand in a partially logged field. Dwelling 1 is a ca. 1900 two story, gable roofed, frame house with exterior, gable end chimneys. Directly north of Dwelling 1 is a ca. 1890 single- pen, 1 and a half story, handhewn log structure (Image right) with a gable roof. An open interior staircase leads to a loft. No chimneys or hearths were observed; however, a section of logs is missing on the eastern elevation which may indicate a previous hearth and chimney that were removed. This structure is most likely a dwelling; however, it may have also functioned as a tobacco pack house.

Kendrick Log Dwelling (071-5421). This site consists of a group of four tobacco barns (3 log barns and 1 modern, bulk barn) and an early log dwelling. The log dwelling is a 1 and a half story, hand-hewn, Vnotched, building sided with overlapping weatherboards. It has one end chimney made of rock on bottom, brick on top. The dwelling has an addition and a porch. The logs have been mortared on the interior and exterior. A corner staircase leads to a sleeping loft. The structure is a good example of a mid-late 19th century log dwelling; however, it is in poor condition.

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Elizabeth Reynolds Log Dwelling (071-5466). This site consists of a deteriorated log and wood-framed dwelling, a wood framed corn crib and a tobacco pack barn. The dwelling is a ca. 1890s 1 and a half story, gable-roofed, V-notched, hand-hewn log house with a 2-story woodframe addition (see Images right). The log section and the addition are connected by an open breezeway. The log section also has an attached log room on its southern side.

The interior of the log section is whitewashed and a corner, boxed staircase that leads to a loft is present in the southeast corner. A stone and brick chimney is present on the western gable end of the log section.

The frame section is covered in horizontal weatherboarding and has a stone and brick chimney on its eastern gable end. The interior walls of the frame section are covered in bead-board. At the time of the survey, all of the mantels had been removed. The house is a good example of a late 19th century log house; unfortunately, it is in poor condition.

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PART VI: SUMMARY This survey was an attempt to gather data on historic tobacco barns in Pittsylvania County, Virginia; it is not a comprehensive study of tobacco barns in Southside or the state. A total of 232 tobacco barns were surveyed, the large majority of which were built in the early to mid -20th century. While attempts were made to locate earlier tobacco barns, additional 19th century barns likely exist in Pittsylvania County that were not examined. For this reason, the survey represents a fairly comprehensive study of early-to mid20th century tobacco barns in Pittsylvania County but not of 19th century tobacco barns. One of the most notable discoveries during the survey was the large variety of pack barns that exist not only in Pittsylvania County but in other parts of the state that have not been surveyed. The existence of the timber-framed tobacco barn on the Nuckols Farm was also of note. Tobacco barns represent some of the most original and important agricultural structures in the state. More county-wide surveys of tobacco barns need to be completed so that a thorough statewide survey of tobacco barns can be completed

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Yeargin, Billy. North Carolina Tobacco, a History. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2008. 38