Historic round barns of the Eastern Townships

By Taylor McClure, Special to The Record

If you were looking around the Eastern Townships at the beginning of the 20th century, you would have been amazed by the round barns that once dotted our beautiful landscape. In fact, it was rare that you didn’t come across one of these unique pieces of architecture along your way, especially in the southern part of the region. This particular architectural style first emerged in Vermont in the early 1800s and was introduced by a group called the Shakers, a religious sect from New England. They viewed the circular form as a symbol of perfection and they held a strong belief that it also prevented the Devil from hiding in corners, where he goes to cause trouble. The buildings caught the eye of farmer interested in the new scientific agriculture, including those from the Townships, influencing them to build their own round barns. See full story in the Monday, Sept. 30 edition of The Record.

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