Garage

As the motor vehicle revolution came to the farm, so did the garage. Farm garages appeared in the early twentieth century. They were typically rectangular buildings, made of wood or concrete: rock face block, beveled block, or cinder block. They would have large doors (sliding or hinged) on either eaves or gable side; sometimes a human door. Gable roofs were the most common, though some have hipped, pyramidal, or gambrel roofs. Garages have no ethnic association. They are a product of the twentieth century. While perhaps their designs do not show so much standardization as the agricultural establishment-derived poultry houses or milk houses of the era, nonetheless the building materials (not to mention the automobiles and trucks that the buildings sheltered) do show the impact of industrialization. Garages were usually sited near the farmhouse, accessed by a driveway or directly from the road.

Garage with a gambrel roof in Bradford County
Gambrel roof garage with sliding door in gable end, Bradford County, c.1930

Two-level hip-roof garage from Luzerne County
Two-level, hip roof garage with eaves-side sliding doors made of rock faced concrete blocks, Luzerne County, c.1930

Garage, Potter Township, Centre County, c. 1925-50
Garage, Potter Township, Centre County, c. 1925-50.
(Site 027-PO-002)