Wells Barn: Preserving History

A building tradition rooted in western New York

John Talcott Wells Sr. and his sons built approximately 100 barns between 1886 and 1942, primarily in western New York. In her introduction to Wells Barn History, Katie Andres reports fewer than fifty documented survivors. That figure belongs to her historical account, rather than a current census.

Andres opens her account with the demolition of a barn in 2016. She and her husband had investigated moving it, but the cost prevented them from proceeding. The loss illustrates a practical question facing these buildings: how can their upkeep be supported when their original agricultural use has ended?

The important discovery is inside

A gambrel roof alone does not identify a Wells barn. Inside, curved timber trusses create the distinctive open volume. Wells received his truss patent on April 23, 1889.

The framing used smaller pieces of lumber assembled into substantial ribs. The open interior reduced obstructions to moving and storing hay, allowing farmers to bring wagons inside. Its striking form came from solving the working needs of a farm.

Repeated trusses could extend the building to the length an owner needed. Crews prepared components in advance and assembled the framing using full-size patterns laid out on the barn floor.

What disappears when a barn is lost

The Wells Barn Legacy Team identifies fire, decay, and property development among the causes of losses. In 2018, the Preservation League of New York State included Wells barns on its Seven to Save list, drawing attention to demolition, deterioration, and limited public awareness.

When a barn disappears, photographs can record its appearance, but people can no longer stand beneath its framing or see its construction at full scale. Preserving the building keeps that encounter possible.

A stay within the history

Outside Scottsville, near Rochester, the owners of this Wells barn wanted to secure its future. The property was no longer a working farm, and the barn was already being used as a residence. Their plan was to restore and stabilize the building, then adapt it for use as an Airbnb.

An overnight stay offers a particularly personal way to encounter this regional building tradition. Guests can spend time beneath the timber framing, examine its connections, and experience the scale of the interior as part of their daily surroundings.

That is the purpose behind this project: preserving a historic structure while giving people a reason to enter it, use it, and learn about the people who built it. The barn’s next use would allow visitors to experience a piece of western New York’s agricultural history through a place they temporarily call home.