The first time I heard the term bank barn was during a phone conversation with the chief of one of Berks County\u2019s rural fire companies.<\/p>\n
He had returned a page to discuss a fire from the previous night. It might have been bales of hay or straw that ignited.<\/p>\n
I grew up near a dairy farm, and my siblings and I \u2014 along with the farm owners\u2019 kids \u2014 used the barn\u2019s loft like a jungle gym. It never occurred to me that this type of barn had a specific name.<\/p>\n
Since I hadn\u2019t been at the scene of the fire, I asked the chief to describe the barn.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a traditional bank barn,\u201d he said, explaining how the upper level opens to a slope, or bank, while the lower level opens to the pasture where the animals are kept.<\/p>\n
So that\u2019s what they call it, I thought. My mind instantly conjured the iconic image you see whenever you pass a traditional Pennsylvania farm.<\/p>\n
Now you can have that image on your license plate.<\/p>\n
PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission announced Thursday that the newly designed \u201cPreserve Our Heritage\u201d special fund plate \u2014 featuring the Pennsylvania bank barn \u2014 is available for purchase.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d always appreciated the utilitarian design of these barns, but I didn\u2019t realize they were, as the press release put it, \u201ca distinct and defining feature of the American rural landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n
Originating in the early 18th century, the design is celebrated for its ingenious integration of architecture and topography, according to the release.<\/p>\n
My boss at a former job was involved in a local historical society. He jokingly referred to the group as \u201chysterical society\u201d\u2014 because, I suppose, they are exuberant to the point of zeal about history.<\/p>\n
The more I read the release, though, the more I can see what all the fuss is about.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor centuries, the iconic stone foundations and cantilevered forebays of the Pennsylvania Bank Barn have stood as steadfast symbols of our state\u2019s deep agricultural roots,\u201d Andrea Lowery, the commission\u2019s executive director, said in the release. \u201cThese structures were built to last, perfectly integrated into the hillsides of our commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Placing this historic cornerstone on a license plate is, indeed, a way for Pennsylvanians to carry a piece of shared history with them, she added.<\/p>\n
The special fund plate is available for cars or trucks with a registered gross weight of 14,000 pounds or less. Each plate costs $64, with $23 supporting the Historical and Museum Commission\u2019s education and exhibit programs.<\/p>\n