Barn On A Battlefield - Spotsylvania VA
N 38° 17.704 W 077° 35.358
18S E 273562 N 4241726
An abandoned barn escaped encroaching development when the land it was built on was preserved for its significance in the Civil War.
Waymark Code: WMBAJ9
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 04/26/2011
Views: 8
A
walking tour
not only leads through a battlefield on the
Civil War Discovery Trail, but it also passes an old weathered whitewashed barn with a clay tile silo.
This old prairie or Western style barn is no longer in use and is boarded up, but a peek inside reveals that it was most probably used for the storage of hay. It is constructed of wood and has a gambrel roof. There are center doors at both ends for farm equipment access. The loft is supported by steel columns and beams.
The barn sports a hollow clay tile silo, also known as an 'Iowa silo' because it was first developed by the Experiment Station of the Iowa State College in 1908.¹ This clay tile silo is a rarity for the area; most older silos are concrete which were cheaper and easier to build.
The barn currently sits on land that preservationists saved from planned development, because it was the scene of the first battle of the Chancellorsville campaign during the Civil War. Although the barn was constructed after the war, it remains standing, reprieved from what was certain demolition. There are remnants of a stone foundation nearby which may be the ruins of the Leitch home which was caught in the middle of battle.²
Although there is a small sign on the barn marking it the property of the Civil War Preservation Trust, it remains unclear what the future holds for this old abandoned barn.
¹ 
willcountylanduse.com, pg. 18
² Please note this is pure speculation. There is no marker at the foundation to confirm its identification. The assumption is based on information and maps provided on the historical signs along the self-guided tour which indicate the Leitch homestead stood in this general area.
Visit Instructions:
When visiting a waymark, please take pictures that clearly show the barn and any implements, animals or other farm-related items that might be visible. This category can be as much about creative photography as the actual building itself.
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