Once upon a time our fertile valleys and rolling hills were dotted with structures, graceful in appearance and practical in their uses.  The men who built them have long passed, leaving the results of their labor; the fulfillment of their dreams.  These men were the Meisters, the masters of perfection.  We are only a shadow of their image, working to preserve the remnants of their handiwork.  As Eric Sloane said in his book America, touching the timbers of an old barn and seeing the evidence of the tools that shaped them, it's as if the builder, "reached down across the years to greet me."  Each of these barns, houses, and outbuildings is as unique as the various men who built them.  When we study these structures we feel as though we are meeting our ancestors and capturing a glimpse of what America used to be.

Somewhere in our country's journey through time these skillfully made structures began to vanish.  Barns across the eastern United States are disappearing, many being burned or pushed over to make room for the sprawl of businesses and housing.  We have made it our calling to seek out these structures for the purpose of preserving them for future generations to enjoy.

America's Vanishing Landmarks - Forgotten Dreams and Broken Promises