Although she’s painted red with white trim,
this barn is not something you would normally
see standing on a farm. The barn at the West
Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
stands tall on the outskirts of the city of Romney,
and although a little timeworn, she’s still a site to
be seen, inside and out.
The birth of the WVSDB and the farm began
in 1902 when 140 acres of land was purchased
between what is now Route 28 and the South
Branch Valley Railroad for $4,385.50.
The huge barn, which is actually three barns
in one, is owned by the WVSDB. Built in 1930,
the barn housed the latest equipment and was
operated by the school’s students.
Standing
Strong
Depression-era threebarns-in-one defying the
elements
Marla Pisciotta
16 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
Built during the depression, the cost to
construct the barn was $16,662.07. Although
the schools tried to get funding through the
legislature, they were turned down. So, monies
set aside for a rainy day fund were used to build
the massive barn.
Prior to the opening of the new barn, another
barn existed on campus, which held about
25 head of dairy cattle, a pig sty, and chicken
house. The old barn and out structures were
located roughly in the vicinity of the current
central supply and school greenhouse on the
WVSDB campus. Once the new barn was
finished, the old barn was torn down.
The three barns in one had room for 60
cows and eight horses, all divided in sections
and separated. Two sections measure 74 feet
by 36 feet, and each are connected by a third
section approximately 43 feet by 30 feet. Four
pens were isolated from the rest of the herd for
sick cattle. There were two bullpens and two
calf pens.
The central part of the upper story housed
feed bins lined with galvanized iron. Two
carloads of ground feed could be stored, mixed,
and easily transported to feed rooms on the
first floor. The loft could carry 100 tons of hay
or other feed and the silo, which measured 14