Housebarn
Encyclopedia
A housebarn is a building that is a combination of a house
and a barn
.
of animals helps to warm human living areas. Living with livestock in the combined building also allowed people to be able to prevent thieves from stealing their animals. Housebarns were developed in western Europe
, Scandinavia
, and the British Isles
. Immigrants to North America rarely built housebarns; they typically divided the barn and house functions into separate buildings.
One American builder estimates that 5% of its buildings have an attached living area, some of which are small apartments. They cite several concerns about building a housebarn. Since fewer people are interested in owning a living quarters attached to the house, housebarns have a more limited marketability. This causes lending institutions to be less likely to grant a loan. Bankers are less likely to accept housebarns as collateral. Housebarns are more costly to insure since they are treated like barns, which have a higher risk of fire. The house portion may get unwanted pests that are common in barns like mice, flies, and birds.
region of German in the 17th and 18th centuries.
.
:
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
and a barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
.
Styles
There are several styles of housebarns. One style is a building where the barn portion shares a wall with the house portion. Sometimes the house portion will extend into part of the loft on the second story of the barn portion. Another style features the barn as the lower portion of the building and the house as the second floor.History
Housebarns were built beginning in prehistoric times after people discovered that the body heatThermoregulation
Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different...
of animals helps to warm human living areas. Living with livestock in the combined building also allowed people to be able to prevent thieves from stealing their animals. Housebarns were developed in western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, and the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. Immigrants to North America rarely built housebarns; they typically divided the barn and house functions into separate buildings.
Advantages and disadvantages
Owners have stated that they find it convenient to not have to walk outside while feeding or watching a medical issue such as birth of animal young. They often can hear the animal noises, which can be disruptive or helpful when an animal has problems.One American builder estimates that 5% of its buildings have an attached living area, some of which are small apartments. They cite several concerns about building a housebarn. Since fewer people are interested in owning a living quarters attached to the house, housebarns have a more limited marketability. This causes lending institutions to be less likely to grant a loan. Bankers are less likely to accept housebarns as collateral. Housebarns are more costly to insure since they are treated like barns, which have a higher risk of fire. The house portion may get unwanted pests that are common in barns like mice, flies, and birds.
Belgium
- Langgevelboerderijen (see below under Netherlands) can be found in LimburgLimburg (Belgium)Limburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant...
, such as that at Houthalen (pictured).
Germany
Housebarns were common in the Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
region of German in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Netherlands
Combined farmhouses and barns in a number of different styles can be found in several areas of the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
- Drentse-boerderij, found in DrentheDrentheDrenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
and northern OverijsselOverijsselOverijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
. These elongated buildings are often thatched. - Kop-hals-rompboerderij, found in FrieslandFrieslandFriesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
and western GroningenGroningen (province)Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, these buildings consist of three sections, the kop containing the house, the hals being a small linking section, and the romp being the barn. - Kop-rompboerderij, found in Friesland and western Groningen, these building are similar to the kop-hals-rompborderijen, but the house is joined directly to the barn.
- Langgevelboerderij, found in Noord Brabant, these consist of a long building that faces the road, with the house at one end.
- Los hoes boerderij, found around TwenteTwenteTwente is a non-administrative region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel...
, Overijssel. These buildings were originally open inside. The farmer and his family sharing the same space as the livestock. - Oldambtster boerderij, found in eastern Groningen. The house is usually tiled, while the barn is thatched.
- Stolpboerderij, these consist of a square pyramidal shaped building, or sometimes rectangular. The roofs of these buildings may be fully tiled or part tiled, part thatched. The house part of these buildings may present an ornate facade. This type of building is found in Noord Holland, and also in Friesland, where they are called stelpboerderij
- T-boerderij, found in Overijssel, UtrechtUtrecht (province)Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
and Zuid Holland, these combined houses and barns are similar to the kop-rompboerderijen, but the farmhouse forms the crossbar of a letter 'T', with the barn forming the stem.
United States
Housebarns are more prevalent in areas that were settled by German immigrants. There are twelve historic housebarns in the United States. Many of these housebarns are listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- Lutze Housebarn in Newton, WisconsinNewton, Manitowoc County, WisconsinNewton is a town in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,241 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Clover, Duveneck, Newton, Newtonburg, and Northeim are located in the town...
. It is one of two remaining buildings of its construction in the United States. - Wilhelm Pelster House-Barn in New Haven, MissouriNew Haven, MissouriNew Haven is a city in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,867 at the 2000 census. The city was founded in 1856. It was originally called Miller's Landing after Philip Miller, an early settler....
. - Jacob Weins House-Barn
- Peter Wittmayer House-Barn
- Wilhelm Moser House-Barn
- Alex Seitaniemi HousebarnAlex Seitaniemi HousebarnThe Alex Seitaniemi Housebarn is a housebarn in Waasa Township, St. Louis County, near Tower, Minnesota. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Combining the house and barn in one building provided advantages. The heat from livestock kept the house warm, and constructing one...
- John and Kate Merkwan Rubblestone House-Barn
- Martin and Wilhelminn Grosz House-Barn
- Kliese Housebarn
- Enoch Hofer House-Barn
- Wihelm Ziegler House-Barn