The Crib barn is a primitive, often crudely built pen or “crib” of logs notched together at the corners. They were ubiquitous where frontier and forest coincided due to the relative ease of construction from logs already cut in the process of clearing land (Allen Noble and Richard Cleek, The Old Barn Book). Due to their rough construction, crib barns typically deteriorated as the farm became more established and larger, more permanent structures appeared, thus making the crib barn relatively scarce.
The John Schneider Barn is an excellent example of an extant crib barn. The loosely stacked logs highlight the simplicity of the design and, interestingly, a later addition of a lean-to now gives the crib barn a saltbox silhouette.
