American Barns and Covered Bridges

by Eric Sloane

When this book was first published in the mid-1950s, the author was concerned that such functional structures as the American barn and the covered bridge would soon give way to progress and be replaced by "modern" elements. Today, a number of these sturdy, beautifully proportioned barns and bridges are still standing — monuments to the skill and keen eye of their original builders. This lovingly written book, accompanied by more than 75 of the author's own sketches, provides a reliable record of those vanishing forms of architecture. Accurate line drawings depict a variety of barns, such as those in Maine, attached to houses; an "open" log barn in Virginia, and a "top hat" barn in North Carolina. Covered bridges — like barns, built for soundness and endurance — are also illustrated, among them a saltbox structure in New England, a bridge with a pedestrian walkway in rural New York State, and a 10-span-long bridge at Clark's Ferry, Pennsylvania. Possessing a deep feeling for what might be called the Age of Wood, the author writes with "warmth and astonishing comprehension." — New York Herald Tribune Book Review. Americana enthusiasts and lovers of these traditional symbols of early American life will delight in this priceless tribute to a bygone era. Over 75 black-and-white illustrations.

Genres: History, Art, Nonfiction, Travel, Reference

112 pages, Paperback

Published January 27, 2003

About the author

Eric Sloane (born Everard Jean Hinrichs) was an American landscape painter and author of illustrated works of cultural history and folklore. He is considered a member of the Hudson River School of painting.

Eric Sloane was born in New York City. As a child, he was a neighbor of noted sign painter and type designer Frederick W. Goudy. Sloane studied art and lettering with Goudy. While he attended the Art Students League of New York City, he changed his name because George Luks and John French Sloan suggested that young students should paint under an assumed name so that early inferior works would not be attached to them. He took the name Eric from the middle letters of America and Sloane from his mentor's name.

In the summer of 1925, Sloane ran away from home, working his way across the country as a sign painter, creating advertisements for everything from Red Man Tobacco to Bull Durham. Unique hand calligraphy and lettering became a characteristic of his illustrated books.

Sloane eventually returned to New York and settled in Connecticut, where he began painting rustic landscapes in the tradition of the Hudson River School. In the 1950s, he began spending part of the year in Taos, New Mexico, where he painted western landscapes and particularly luminous depictions of the desert sky. In his career as a painter, he produced over 15,000 works. His fascination with the sky and weather led to commissions to paint works for the U.S. Air Force and the production of a number of illustrated works on meteorology and weather forecasting. Sloane is even credited with creating the first televised weather reporting network, by arranging for local farmers to call in reports to a New England broadcasting station.

Sloane also had a great interest in New England folk culture, Colonial daily life, and Americana. He wrote and illustrated scores of Colonial era books on tools, architecture, farming techniques, folklore, and rural wisdom. Every book included detailed illustrations, hand lettered titles, and his characteristic folksy wit and observations. He developed an impressive collection of historic tools which became the nucleus of the collection in the Sloane-Stanley Tool Museum in Kent, Connecticut.

Sloane died in New York in 1985, while walking down the street to a luncheon held in his honor.

Sloane's best known books are A Reverence for Wood, which examines the history and tools of woodworking, as well as the philosophy of the woodworker; The Cracker Barrel, which is a compendium of folk wit and wisdom; and Diary of an Early American Boy: Noah Blake-1805, based on a diary he discovered at a local library book sale. His most famous painted work is probably the skyscape mural, Earth Flight Environment, which is still on display in the Independence Avenue Lobby in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this a couple of times. Bridges isn't something I'm particularly interested in, yet I found this captivating.

[Dave E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book in the compilation titled Eric Sloane's America. There's a lot of information in here regarding woodworking and the construction of barns and bridges in the 18-19th centuries. It's a bit detailed oriented, but if you're into the subject matter its very good and as always, his illustrations are excellent.

[Barry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably 2.5 stars. The section on barns is pretty good, and Sloane's artistry is as good as ever, but the bridge section is just an information dump. Plus, Sloane includes way too much wistful moaning for halcyon days that the book nearly becomes less about barns and bridges and more about his opinions of days long past—which is kinda tacky.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four chapters: wood, tools, barns, bridges. There are tons of information in the first couple of chapters. It seems like Sloane is having trouble getting it all out. It includes the early days of American settlement. The section on bridges covers the 1800's, and has descriptions of the origins of the various truss types, as well as anecdotal stories.

[Caitlyn Veenstra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a requirement for a Historic Preservation course. It was very informative and read as a historic field journal. The sketches were great and the information interesting. I am not overly enthusiastic about covered bridges/barns so I found it wasn't my favorite.

[Jeffrey Philips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of insight in how the early barns and bridges were built.