In Vermont, historians, preservationists, and locals are worried about barns. These wooden structures, many from the 18th and 19th centuries, help create the pastoral image that attracts tourists. Years of general neglect and heavy winter snowstorms have destroyed many historical barns, which have collapsed under the weight of snow.

“Barns are no longer used for their original purposes, given the general decline in farming and changes in farming practices,” says Professor Thomas Visser, director of the graduate program in historic preservation at the University of Vermont. “These barns were strong and secure in their time but roofs leak, foundations heave, and timber frames start to rot.”

Launched by State Architectural Historian and Deputy Sate Historical Preservation Officer Nancy Boone, the Vermont Barn Census is an attempt to catalogue the features and uses of barns that still remain. Says Boone, “People care about barns, and we knew that if we made it easy for them to record and submit information, we could learn a lot about the barns.”

Funded by a grant from Preserve America, a government initiative that supports the preservation of America’s cultural heritage, the Vermont Barn Census provides Vermont residents with a paper form that shows them how to observe and record characteristics like roof type, the materials used, age estimate, dimensions, and any history that they can gather.

In early August, Boone and her colleagues hosted the first big barn census weekend, and they held workshops for anyone interested in learning more about the project. More than 300 people attended workshops about topics like the development of barns as it relates to agricultural practice, the restoration of timber frames, and how to do the census.

“The folks that came to these workshops were individuals interested in historic barns. Some even own historic barns and wanted to submit information, taking the first step in preserving their barns,” says Boone.

Boone has designated several dates as official barn census weekends, but volunteers can conduct the census whenever they have the time. In an effort to get children excited about Vermont’s cultural history, Boone and her colleagues have been trying to find ways involve teachers. Says Boone, “The barn census connects people to the community and gets kids out of the classroom to experience some interdisciplinary, community-supported, and place-based learning”

Intern Michael Plummer (watch his video here), a graduate student in the historic preservation program at the University of Vermont, helped Boone develop training guides, which give background information on Vermont’s cultural history, barn types, and ways that crops were cultivated. He tried to organize the information in an easy-to-follow manner so that even a volunteer with no prior experience could feel well-prepared in the field.

The submission process is simple, and the user-friendly website includes checkboxes, a drop-down list of choices, and digital photographs to help volunteers communicate their findings. Boone hopes to complete the Vermont Barn Census by Fall, 2010. When all the information has been gathered, it will be available on the Internet; Vermont residents will be able to see the work done in their communities, look for regional trends and patterns, and make maps.

Says Boone, “I think the future of successful preservation advocacy depends on our ability to think broadly about how can we use these barns. If we have a use for barns, someone will be more likely to invest in preserving those barns.”