Charleston Barn

This heavy timbered hemlock barn has a massive 35’ swing beam that spans the barn’s interior.  Swing beams were used to eliminate the center post on the barns threshing floor.  This would allow an ox to be tethered to a pivot and, by walking in a circle, thresh grain in the center bay of a barn.  During the winter, the swing beam supported tens of thousands of pounds of hay and northeastern snow loads.

This 1830’s barn is now restored as a home in central Texas.