Doors without External Access

In both the Pennsylvania Barns and other types, frequently there would be one or more doors in the upper-level eaves on the yard side of the barn. These served to provide cross ventilation and to allow feed or straw to be tossed down into the yard.

Barn with upper eaves door, Berks County. mid-19th century
Pennsylvania barn with door in upper eaves, Berks County. mid-19th century

Barn. Straban Township, Franklin County, c. 1860-80
Barn with two doors lacking ground-level external access, Straban Township, Franklin County, c. 1860-80. (Site 055-ST-001)
The split doors in the forebay wall provide ventilation and light for the interior threshing floors.
They also allow for hay or straw to be thrown down into the yard.
This barn also has an upper-level door in the gable end; this is likely a granary door,
arranged so that grain sacks could be offloaded onto a waiting wagon below.