Steel Buildings Down on the Farm

If anyone can take responsibility for the popularity of steel buildings in the United States, it’s the farmers. From the start of westward expansion, farmers were instrumental in the spread of steel buildings across the landscape. During the California Gold Rush, a New York metal worker came up with the idea of portable steel houses for 49ers heading for the Golden State. His steel buildings were created in pieces that could be strapped on a wagon for transport across the country and assembled on site. While the engineering process is far more complex today, that’s still the basic reasoning behind steel buildings – a completely disassembled building shipped on a flatbed or a truck and assembled when it reached its building site.

In the Midwest, where wood was a precious building material, farmers found that sheets of steel made a durable building material to store their grain, house their animals and shelter their equipment from the elements. Metal lean-tos and steel Quonset buildings really took off after World War I and World War II when soldiers returning from service put what they had learned into use on the farm. Quonset buildings were easy to erect, sturdy and required little maintenance. Because they don’t need internal posts or supports, the arch-framed metal buildings provided the most space for storing grain and other commodities and allowed farmers to drive their tractors and wagons in and out for easy loading and unloading.

The flexibility of the interior space also makes steel buildings ideal choices to house animals. Cattle barns, dairy barns and horse barns can be customized for the needs of the animals. They’re easy to insulate and require far less upkeep than wooden barns. That’s an important factor for a small farmer who can’t afford to take time away from their crops and animal care to repaint a barn or treat it for termites and other vermin. And since steel buildings are fire resistant, there’s far less danger to any animals housed in steel barns.

The biggest complaint about metal buildings, especially Quonset buildings, was always their appearance. One writer referred to them as “a squat blight on the landscape.” Today’s technology has wiped away that argument. Steel buildings today are as attractive as their wooden counterparts and far more durable. Their colors don’t fade and peel, and with just a minimum of care, they can be just as attractive twenty years after their construction as on the day they are erected.

Steel buildings got their start on the farm, and they’re still a great option for garages, barns and storage buildings. If you’re in the market to replace your old outbuildings, look into the many advantages that metal buildings provide to farmers.