Even if a barn has been painted once, it is often not repainted but instead is left to fade over time. Unpainted, faded, bleached weathered barn timbers have a certain esthetic appeal. Eric Sloane, a 20 th -century barn artist and writer, says there is a certain beauty of wood in a state of pleasing decay with moss and lichens. Products stored in the barn such as hay, stray, tobacco, and corn add subtle mellow colorful tones to the barn. In the early 19 th century, northern and mid-Atlantic farmers started painting their barns a dark red.
Several theories exist on why red was such a popular color for barns.
Others say it was an abundance of stock blood or iron oxide that could be mixed with milk to make red paint. Others suggested it was esthetics - the red paint complemented the green fields. Yet another theory suggests it was a supply and demand tradition. Farmers, when asked why they painted their barns red, replied, red paint is so available and cheap. If paint manufacturers asked why they produced so much red paint, they said, because so many farmers want it.