In McDonough County, local tourism and history buffs found a new use for the old structures, creating a detailed map to guide people through the back roads to the better-maintained and most interesting barns. One of the first things that strike you when you begin the tour is the variety of architectural styles among the barns. The stereotypical big red barn is one of many variations. All of the barns in McDonough County are made of wood. The styles range from a 1920 square, three-story hen house with fading white paint to a 1914 round barn, to a restored and recently painted 1889 barn.
Slater explains barn styles tend to be somewhat localized.
Many of the barns in the area were designed with some variation to the cross-gable style. The oldest barn on the tour was erected in 1868. The simple two-sided red barn, about six miles north of Macomb, is in better shape than many of the newer barns in the county and once housed cattle. The newer structures date back to the 1920s. Still, he says people who spend the time and money restoring barns do it because they're interested in agricultural history and preserving it.