A barn kit has been part of the American way of life since the early 1900’s. Laws had been passed regarding farm safety and sanitation at the beginning of the twentieth century. Farmers felt the need to construct better barns to comply with the laws and the newer barns would have been a status symbol. With the advent of the mail order business what better way to get a barn than with a kit? These kits were economical, guaranteed, and designed by architects. Previously farmers had to hire a skilled barn builder and a large crew to erect a barn, now with mass production and easy shipping they could afford to build a modern efficient barn in less time with simpler tools and fewer carpenters.

In 1911 Sears & Roebuck offered a barn kit No. 16, it measured 30’ x 54’ and cost $480, even the paint was included! With a cheap block foundation, the total cost with labor was estimated at $775. Sears & Roebuck also offered a round barn 60’ in diameter for $1,627 for the barn kit in 1918. What some people think of when they think barn is the gothic-roofed type like the Cyclone. In 1918, the Cyclone 40’ x 140’ kit was sold for $3,484 by Sears & Roebuck. Construction price for a four-room house was $500 to $1000 in 1913 in the Midwest, so a barn like the Cyclone was truly a status symbol. Montgomery Ward sold mail order barn kits from 1916 through 1920 but the Montgomery Ward barn kit never achieved the popularity that Sears & Roebuck models did. Sears & Roebuck offered at least one barn kit in their catalogs from 1910 until 1934. Several other companies offered barn kits such as Aladdin, Harris Brothers, Hodgson, and Gordon-Van Tine.

There are many types of barn kits available today. Pole barns are probably the cheapest type of barn kit, they consist of poles set in the ground covered with tin. If someone wishes to dabble in the historical post and beam construction method there are many companies who offer these kits. While not for the novice carpenter these would be a wonderful family project. Home Depot even has a shed that qualifies as a small barn and comes in a kit.