BURLINGTON, Vt., Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Vermont officials say they are working to prevent the ongoing decline of barns on operating farms statewide.
With state data indicating that the number of Vermont barns has declined from 24,000 following World War II to a current total of 6,200, officials like state architectural historian Nancy Boone have begun to take action, The Boston Globe said Monday.
Boone said the dramatic drop in the number of Vermont barns has been due in part to the cost of maintaining the farming sites and a decline in the traditional family farm.
"I think that people tend to feel their loss may be inevitable," Boone said. "The information we have about barns in most areas of the state is virtually non-existent."
A census effort is under way statewide to gain additional information about the state's barns and officials say data should allow for the implementation of preservation efforts.
"They're a symbol of our natural and agricultural past. We were a nation of farmers for generations," said Jim Lindberg of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, one of the officials attempting to help preserve the historic structures.
