The advent of modern building materials has done nothing to assuage the popularity of owning a traditionally crafted barn. From designs of yesteryear that still work marvelously like the Monitor Barn, with its lofty appeal and jigsaw like construction ease in modular format, to the high-end timber frame hybrid barn with its aesthetically pleasing lines and wood finishes, barns are often still crafted by the renowned ‘Amish’ carpenters.
Horizon Structures center-aisle barn with over-hang and fine architectural details.
The signature of an Amish built horse barn is its robust nature and the strong structural framing members and resolute carpentry skill sets provide durability and longevity.
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The timber frame hybrid barn offers a blend of modular and on-site construction with historically relevant joinery methods of mortise and tenon (still the strongest known carpentry joinery method known). The racecourse Shedrow is still much a favorite style of horse housing due in part to its affordability and the American center-aisle low- and high-profile structures all delight horse owners with their variant functionalities. And all are regularly crafted by the Amish.
The Backstory
The Amish are one sect of the more commonly known, Pennsylvania Dutch. This large group encompasses Mennonites and other religious groups. There is a religious difference between Amish and Mennonites though they are still closely tied community wise, along with the many other sects within the term Pennsylvania Dutch. You can learn more on that here.
The Amish are known for their ethics of hard work and discipline, and their heavy involvement in farming dates back to the invitation of William Penn to come to America from Germany back in the 1660’s.
King Charles II of England granted the Quaker, Penn, who believed in religious freedom from persecution, over 45,000 square miles of land in what is now known as “Penn”Sylvania. Interestingly the State renaming of what began as Sylvania (meaning forests and trees) was at the king’s direction to honor William’s Penn’s loyal father for his allegiance to the crown. While William Penn busily added more and more hectares of land to the State, the forestland of the area was a huge resource of lumber from which these new colonial era arrivals could fashion homes and barns.
While the various religious sects that make up the Pennsylvania Dutch can now be found across America, the central Amish location that most folks know about is Lancaster, PA. This is the heartland of the original forestry industry on the East Coast of America too and not surprisingly following their religious ethics and lifestyles the Amish have become symbolic of the barn-raising and barn building industry that most people have heard about.
Barn-raising was a task born of necessity. The larger structures could not be constructed by one family alone, and it was a matter of cultural community that when one farmer needed help with a large or onerous project, everyone would come together to help out. Each person content in the knowledge that their unpaid labor would be rewarded by the return of same from the community when their need arose.
The Amish and Mennonite traditions of frugality and hard work continue. Their knowledge of carpentry and artisan expertise; hands-on involvement working with different wood species and grades; and locally harvested timber availability has not faded over the centuries. More recently learned talents working with more modern building components and modular barn construction in a factory environment have been added over time.
The Amish Barn Signature
Most horse owners are well aware of the heritage that an Amish built barn exudes.
The signature of an Amish built barn is its robust nature. Usually crafted from heavy duty lumber some might consider an Amish barn to be ‘overbuilt’. The strong structural framing members and resolute carpentry skill sets provide the durability and longevity in a horse barn that the Amish are renowned for constructing. These are a testament to their legacy knowledge of timber and joinery techniques.
As a dressage clinician and trainer, I regularly visit barns across the U.S.A.. Just last weekend I was up in the far reaches of the Catskill Mountains in Summit, NY, to work with a new client. After being lost on more than one dirt road leading nowhere, I finally found the right roadway and as I entered the property I was greeted with the view of new barn. It sat resplendent in its finishing and substantial construction set high on a hill where intense snowfall and winter weather patterns exist. While I did not need to ask (because it was immediately apparent to me by its style and finish who had completed the large construction task) I asked anyway,
“Who built your barn?”
She proudly answered, “The Amish. It was only finished last week and it took no time at all.”
I was not at all surprised. Not only are Amish barns typically crafted of good grade woods, tightly finished wood seams offering modern-day features like top quality steel grills and hardware, the Amish barn stands out for the speed at which these buildings are fashioned. Even larger construction projects can be completed efficiently and in record time.
There are many horse owners that have first-hand experience and attest to the lightning quick construction of high-quality Amish barns they have bought for their properties. Professionals such as Lynn Pirozzoli, of Purcellville, VA, have also developed successful entrepreneurial businesses thinking out of the barn ‘box’, which you can learn about here.
Nothing Old-Fashioned About The Planning Process
While you might expect that a high-quality Amish barn might be a deal done with a handshake, there is nothing old-fashioned about how the modern-day barn is crafted when it comes to plans and designs. For all good reasons it is essential not to overlook the details in horse barn plans and regardless of what construction firm you choose planning the project properly is the key to a great result.
While strict codes and ethics of lifestyle choices may apply to the Amish bound by their religious compass, the community spirit that this invokes leads the crews at ground level to happily work with other like-minded ‘Dutch’ like the Mennonites. The latter have no qualms about embracing modern technological advantages and incorporating them into their business model and standard protocols.
This union offers the best of both worlds, because price wise the frugality of composition and the ultimate barn price and value for money is combined with the advantages of video walk-throughs, 3D renderings and the like, all of which make buying an Amish built barn very straightforward and easy to accomplish with confidence.
The extensive cross-country network of Amish and other ‘Dutch’ communities means that it is no longer necessary to work with a smaller less diverse offering barn design wise that is limited by geographic location.
The Leader in The Barn Structure Space
The community spirit that leading modular horse barn company Horizon Structures encompasses a host of factory facilities with a nationwide footprint operating in the same cultural sphere. While the company was founded in 2001 by Dave Zook, who was brought up in the Amish tradition in Southern Central Pennsylvania, his vision has extended well-passed the confines of Lancaster County with a host of shop build locations. Of course this availability does not just improve the choice that horse barn buyers can enjoy, it also cuts the cost of freight expenses for delivery and set-up of the structures.
When it comes to building a barn that will withstand the test of time, it is easy to see what makes the Amish barn build the gold standard even in today’s competitive marketplace. From Barndominiums to Run-In Sheds and everything barn build in-between that any equine lover can envision, there is a factory-built modular solution that the busy property owner can employ to mitigate any risk of delays or disappointments in the final result.
Modular barn construction may mean an end to the traditional barn raising ‘frolics’ of times gone by to some degree. But the increased geographic availability, extensive customization accommodations and forward-thinking design models that are available from the workshops of Amish carpenters is a boon to property owners seeking a sturdy durable structure for their animals.
The modular construction realm means on-site set up is executed in the Amish double-quick all business manner while their artisan craftsmanship is now more widely accessible than ever. And that is good news for horse aficionados everywhere
About Horizon Structures: One horse or twenty, there’s one thing all horse owners have in common…the need to provide safe and secure shelter for their equine partners. At Horizon Structures, we combine expert craftsmanship, top-of-the-line materials and smart “horse-friendly” design to create a full line of sheds and barns that any horse owner can feel confident is the right choice for their horses’ stabling needs.
All wood. Amish Made. Most of our buildings are shipped 100% pre-built and ready for same-day use. Larger barns are a modular construction and can be ready for your horses in about a week. All our barn packages include everything you need to move your horses right in.
Horizon Structures also sells chicken coops, equine hay feeders, greenhouses, dog kennels. You can also find garages, sheds and outdoor living sets available at Horizon’s sister company Stoltzfus Structures.
Headquartered in South-Central Pennsylvania, Horizon Structures, LLC was founded by Dave Zook. Dave was raised in the Amish tradition and grew up working in the family-owned shed business. He started Horizon Structures in 2001 in response to an ever-increasing customer demand for high quality, affordable horse barns. Over the years, the company has grown and now has several build shops located throughout the US enabling them to service customers nationwide.
For additional information about the company or their product line, please visit their website at https://www.horizonstructures.com
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