Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses 5-2017 "Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It.": Documenting the Vernacular Structures of a Historic Flue-Curing Tobacco Farming Practice Clayton Thomas Johnson Clemson University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Recommended Citation Johnson, Clayton Thomas, ""Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It.": Documenting the Vernacular Structures of a Historic Flue-Curing Tobacco Farming Practice" (2017). All Theses. 2641. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/2641 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT.”: DOCUMENTING THE VERNACULAR STRUCTURES OF A HISTORIC FLUE-CURING TOBACCO FARMING PRACTICE. ________________________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Graduate Schools of Clemson University and College of Charleston ________________________________________ In Partial Fulfi llment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Historic Preservation ________________________________________ by Clayton Thomas Johnson May 2017 ________________________________________ Accepted by: Dr. R. Grant Gilmore III, Committee Chair Dr. Barry Stiefel Dr. Carter L. Hudgins ABSTRACT Historic fl ue-curing tobacco barns in rural North Carolina are rapidly disappearing from the landscape and falling victim to demolition by neglect, as well as urban and suburban growth. Currently, the preservation of these structures remains in the hands of farmers or landowners, and few are being saved. This thesis fosters an awareness for the importance of fl ue-curing tobacco barns, demonstrates the receptivity of various public outreach platforms, and summarizes the creation of a tobacco barn survey and website devoted to the documentation of fl ue-curing tobacco barns in North Carolina. Data was gathered through a survey examining location, materials, photographs, and condition of the tobacco barns. The website is crowd-sourced, receiving data and input from individuals in Piedmont North Carolina, and information is continuously updated allowing for “real time” management. Tobacco barn documentation is important, as each barn holds a unique history in the expansion and development of agriculture in the United States, as well as vestiges of time honored traditions and practices no longer used. Results from this thesis give insight to the structural survival of tobacco barns on the landscape, and the lack of interest towards preserving these structures. ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my Grandpa James Pope, and the passion for agricultural structures which we share. His hard work and dedication to preserve the family farm and its many structures inspired me to join this program and gain the necessary skills to go out and preserve vernacular structures, cultural heritage, and the like. As a farmer tends to his crop, he has helped to cultivate me into who I am today, and I will forever be grateful for that. Love you forever and always! iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to begin by thanking my parents MJ and Pam Johnson, and the rest of my wonderfully supportive family, for providing encouraging words and expressions of love throughout this process. I continue by thinking my friends and classmates who have become friends through late nights, smiles, tears, and the occasional rant; what a ride this has been. To Rachael and Alena, you two knew that laughter was the greatest medicine, and I thank both of you for every laugh. This thesis would have been far less successful without the guidance of my thesis director Dr. Gilmore, and would have far more grammatical errors without the rest of my committee being so thorough. Thank you for that. I would like to express my appreciation to Mary Margaret and other faculty members who have provided their wisdom and inspiring words that have helped me persevere and make this thesis great. Finally, I would like to thank the survey participants who took the time to document the fl ue-curing tobacco barns and provide a starting point from which to build the data set in the future. I am so thankful for your support. THANK YOU ALL! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix CHAPTERS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................... 11 Tobacco ............................................................................................................ 11 Preservation ..................................................................................................... 13 Barns ............................................................................................................... 14 3. METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 18 Initial Survey ................................................................................................... 18 Website – Barnfi nder.weebly.com .................................................................... 25 4. BRIGHT LEAF TOBACCO HISTORY ......................................................... 28 Cultivation ..................................................................................................... 35 Farm Labor ..................................................................................................... 40 Evolution of Curing Techniques .................................................................... 41 Heritage and Cultural Values of Tobacco Production ...................................... 48 5. FLUE-CURING TOBACCO BARN EVOLUTION ....................................... 50 Early Flue-curing Tobacco Barns ................................................................... 51 Retrofi t ............................................................................................................ 54 New barns in the “Bright Belt” ....................................................................... 55 Bulk Barns and the Future of Tobacco Barns .................................................. 59 v Table of Contents (Continued) Page 6. RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 63 Part One - Structural Survival ......................................................................... 64 Construction of Barn ............................................................................... 64 Date of Construction .......................................................................... 64 Original to Farm .................................................................................. 65 Use of Barn .............................................................................................. 66 Barn in Use ........................................................................................ 66 Last Used for Tobacco ........................................................................ 67 Used for Original Purpose .................................................................. 68 Current Use ........................................................................................ 68 Barn Characteristics ................................................................................. 69 Size and Number of “Rooms” ............................................................ 69 Alterations .......................................................................................... 70 Shed Roofs .......................................................................................... 70 Construction Method and Materials ........................................................ 71 Construction Method ........................................................................ 71 Exterior Wall Materials ....................................................................... 73 Roof .................................................................................................... 74 Foundation .......................................................................................... 75 Conditions Assessment ........................................................................... 76 Conditions .......................................................................................... 76 Part Two - Survey Reaction ............................................................................ 77 Survey Response ...................................................................................... 77 Survey Population ............................................................................... 77 Method of Finding Survey ................................................................. 78 Preservation