IDAHO HERITAGE BARNS REGISTER
The mission of the Idaho Heritage Barns Register is to recognize Idahoʼs agricultural heritage and document the many historic barns and agricultural buildings built to support that heritage. Historic barns are visual reminders of the importance of agriculture in our stateʼs history and economy; they stand on the landscape as a testament to the Idaho ideals of hard work, productivity, and connection to the land. The goal of the Heritage Barns Register is to document and preserve information about these agricultural buildings.
Land use development and the deterioration of historic barns over time increases the importance - and urgency - of this task. Preservation Idaho has worked hard to create a public submission process that allows anyone to submit a barn for inclusion in the registry. Our hope is that Idahoans will help us document historic barns in every corner of the state so that we can preserve the stories of our agricultural heritage for future generations.
Why is documenting historic barns important? Learn more about The Value of Idaho’s Historic Barns.
Submit a barn to the idaho heritage barns register
Please help document and preserve information about historic barns and other agricultural buildings in Idaho via our easy online form, linked via the button below.
Please note:
We accept submissions from anywhere in Idaho.
If you do not have all information available, enter what you do have. Most fields are not required and the form can be submitted with those fields left blank.
The Idaho Heritage Barns Register register was created for the purpose of capturing the existence of historic barns in their original context. The Register is not intended to be of historic preservation standards.
Anyone can list a historic barn on the Register; you do not need to own the barn or property. If you are not the owner, descriptions and pictures taken from the public roadside are acceptable.
Please respect private property and ask permission to access land if you would like to get closer than public roads or right-of-way areas allow.
Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing before submissions will be added to the register.
Click HERE if you would prefer a paper form to print, fill out by hand, and return by mail.
Questions? Email us at info@preservationidaho.org.
view the idaho heritage barns registry
Click on a county name below to view PDFs of barns submitted by county.
If you would like to add a barn to the registry that is not currently documented, please fill out Idaho Barn Register form or contact us.
Additional resources for Barn History
THOSE BIG OLD BARNS: DRIVING TOUR OF 13 HISTORICAL BARNS
In a special reporting project published in the Times-News on Nov. 15 and Nov. 22, 2015, reporter Mychel Matthews drew on that emotional element to bring awareness and appreciation to a variety of old dairy and livestock barns in the Magic Valley. Exhaustively researched and written in a lively, engaging style, Matthews’ special report drew wide readership across Idaho, and throughout the community it sparked new interest in these threatened structures.
Here’s a link to the digital StoryMap presentation of the driving tour of 13 barns
HISTORIC BARNS OF SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO: A SELF-GUIDED DRIVING TOUR
In southeastern Idaho, barns are a mainstay of the landscape. Their stark outlines rise from surrounding fields; even those that are beginning to lean or that have fallen tell of a way of life not very familiar to most Americans today.
Provided by the Bear River Heritage Area