For centuries barns served many functions: housing for animals, storage for equipment, and graineries. Farmers threshed grain on barn floors, stored hay for feeding livestock in lofts, and sheltered animals in stalls.  To farmers, barns were as essential as the houses they lived in. To many  barns represent tradition, hard work and independence. These associations are just as much a part of the barn as its framework and its roofing. The barn was also the heart of the farm and a vital center of community life. It was a place for dancing, praying, and a place for children to play. For...