The Wisconsin Barns book is a fascinating and pictorial journey into rural Wisconsin. On a two-year quest to document Wisconsin's iconic barns, writer and historian Nancy Schumm-Burgess and photographer and journalist Ernest J. Schweit set out to explore a way of life defined by family, a connection to the land, ingenuity, and hard work. In the process, Schumm-Burgess digs up fascinating details on the backgrounds of the structures, including a rare log barn dating to the 1840s, a barn that once served as a stagecoach stop and another designed by African American architect Algie Shivers. Schweit's photographs capture the storied structures in all seasons from modest mid-1800s barns to round and octagonal structures to grand, arch-roofed edifices. Organized by region, the Wisconsin Barns book discusses Wisconsin's unique barn styles and details the backgrounds of many of the structures. Makes a perfect gift or memento.
Softcover book (9 1/8 x 8 1/8 in.) has 80 pages, including 107 color photos. ISBN 1560374837
An avid history writer, Nancy Schumm-Burgess has been documenting and preserving barns since 1997. She works with local and national barn preservation organizations to protect this integral part of our agrarian heritage.