Every week we publish a historic photo highlighting a story from Naperville’s past from the history archives of Naper Settlement.
A barn raising was once a great social event. Farm families would gather to do exactly that — raise a new barn.
Today’s photo is of a barn raising at the Schwartz farm near Lisle.
In 1894, the Schwartz cattle barn was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The new barn was raised on the foundation of the old one.
This farm is believed to be the family farm of Ferdinand and Magdalena Schwartz as the photograph once belonged to their daughter, Hattie.
Back in the 1800s, as barns grew in physical size, the labor required to put them up also grew, which led to barn raisings.
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The term “raising” refers to the process of lifting the frames that make up the outside of the barn and then connecting them with the horizontal frames, known as cross-girts.
Men used ropes and poles to bring up the heavy frames.
Barn raising reveals one of the ways that farming in the 19th century was a communal affair.
For a farm to be isolated from its neighbors made it unprofitable and unsustainable. This meant that as farm families migrated west, they often settled in locations with people they knew previously or in new areas with people who shared ethnic, language and religious backgrounds.
Barn raisings not only put up a new structure quickly, they also allowed farm families to benefit from the best thinking and to become part of the community.
In the 19th century, farm families were often intertwined through marriage, church and civic functions.
Barn raising, then, was part of a larger culture of interdependence in rural communities during this period. Naperville would not have been an exception to this historical trend.
After a barn was raised, it would be common for the family benefitting from the labor to host a large dinner to thank the community members who assisted with the construction.
The women in the family would attempt to cook the best meal of the year to maintain their status within the community. Often, dances were also held.
Barn raisings fell out fashion after the turn of the 20th century. By that point, many settlements already had the structues they needed and those that did not would likely hire labor rather than rely on community help, especially as barn construction became more complicated.
The Schwartz family is also notable in Naperville because they were among the first 25 families to finance the building of St. Raphael Catholic Church, now known as Sts. Peter and Paul.
Many of the family members are buried in the Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery.
While barn raisings are now rare, the Mennonite and Amish communities continue the practice.
Andrea Field is the curator of history at Naper Settlement. For more information, go to www.NaperSettlement.org.
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.