Pole barns are models of efficiency. Imagine, buildings that are set up on poles buried in the ground, pole barns are so simple to set up and build everyone should be building them.

Pole barns have been around for a while, as they are simple to construct and the materials are cheap. However, it was in the twentieth century that pole barns really became popular, as materials were invented that made building pole barns profitable, and new methods of building them were invented.

Pole barns have been built since the beginning of history; they are cheap and easy to make, and provide a good defence from the environment. But they were always looked upon as temporary buildings that couldn't last. The Great Depression changed that. As materials were generally in short supply, people had to deal with what was available. In order to deal with this, two basic approaches were usually

followed: using as little materials as much as possible, and using cheap materials when possible. Both approaches apply to pole barns.

H. Howard Doane is considered the major innovator in pole barns, as he created a number of ways to create pole barns. He started by finding ways to use 2x4 boards of any length to build pole barns by using making trusses. He patented his system, and then made it a point that his method was spread as much as possible. His Agricultural Service supervisor, Bernon G. Perkins, is credited with finding a way to change pole barns from temporary structures to permanent ones by using a different building method.

During World War II, the government imposed a limit of $1500 on new barns. This limitation was due to the lack of materials more than any other reason. Pole barns were perfect for this, as they are by nature cheap to build, an only require a third of the materials of normal barns. Combined with innovations and new materials, pole barns were lifted to an entirely new level of popularity by the war. Afterwards, they stayed in fashion because of their utility and inexpensiveness, as well as how quick they could be built.

Combined with modern materials, have made structures that can take a lot more punishment than their predecessors from centuries past. With modern ways of treating wood, as well as creating materials that are cheap and sturdy, pole barns have gone from being extremely temporary structures to permanent structures. Some people have even used pole barns as homes.

The industry of building pole barns has really taken off. Plans and kits for building pole barns have combined with the internet and the publishing world to enable an increase in building pole barns. The structures have taken on a new life, as they have spread from agricultural uses to any time someone needs a storage facility that can be put up quickly and cheaply, and will last for as long as needed.

As long as the need for storage remains steady, and pole barns continue to be able to fill that need, it is likely that pole barns will be around.