When you pass an old barn it isn't just an old structure of now weathered boards, it is a piece of history and each has its own story. From the days when Thomas Jefferson envisioned the new republic as a nation dependent on citizen farmers for its stability and its freedom, the family farm has been a vital image in the American consciousness. As the main structures of farms, barns evoke a sense of tradition and security, of closeness to the land and community with the people who built them. Since so many historical barns are disappearing from our landscape, this book is only the beginning of my journey to preserve through photography some of the barns in McMinn County, Tennessee.