Tobacco Barns in North Carolina

Tobacco Barns in North Carolina. . , (Main text) , If you grew up in North Carolina, chances are you have seen a tobacco barn sitting in a field. Tobacco barns, like this one, were used to cure brightleaf tobacco. After the leaves were harvested from nearby fields, they were brought to the barns to be strung on tobacco sticks, dried, and then fire-cured. Fires were watched day and night to ensure an even temperature was maintained inside the barn, Curing the leaves turned them from green to a bright golden yellow color. An entire year's worth of planting, growing, and harvesting could be lost if curing was not done properly, or worse, the entire barn went up in smoke! The process of flue-curing was developed right here in North Carolina and is used specifically for cigarette manufacturing., At one time, it was estimated that half a million tobacco barns dotted the North Carolina landscape. Sadly, that number has been drastically reduced, with many barns now falling into disrepair. The preservation of these tobacco barns not only preserves a piece of North Carolina history, it preserves a past way of life. As of 2018, this tobacco barn is one of only five currently being preserved in North Carolina., (Box 1) , "My earliest memories are of me and my brother, helping Grandpa Lendo plant tobacco...we were little barefoot country kids following him down the row, one of us carrying an arm-full of tobacco plants, and the other helping to drop the plants in the setter. Grandpa would use his boot to push the planter into the ground each time." - Wanda Kirkman Nelson , Transferring the seedlings to the fields in order to allow the tobacco to mature. This farm was located on Pepper Road between Oak Ridge and Kernersville, circa 1950. Photo Courtesy of Allen Young, (Box 2) , "You would have to plow pretty much every week to get rid of grass growing. Each row had to have two swipes of the mule to get rid of the weeds." -Wayne Mabe , Davis Sears working in the tobacco fields with his mule. Photo courtesy of Linda Sears, (Box 3) , "I remember when I was probably just knee high to the bench, is what they all say, we would go to the tobacco field, if they were suckering it, the little ones would crawl along the ground and break off the suckers." - Carolyn Beeson Roddy , C.A. Beeson standing in his tobacco field. The Beeson farm was located in Kernersville. Photo Courtesy of Carolyn Beeson Roddy, (Box 4) , "In between every leaf on that stalk there would be suckers, almost like another small plant. You had to get that off to make sure the other leaves would grow -- that was suckering." - Wayne Mabe , Ron and Don Stanley, priming a tobacco field in 1960. The Stanley farm was located near Stanley Farm Road, on the south side of West Mountain Street, just east of Talley's Crossing. It was where Oakmont Circle is today. Photo courtesy of Don Stanley , (Box 5) , "Priming tobacco was a job that kept us wet from beginning to end. Early in the morning we were soaked by dew as we rubbed against the leaves. Later in the morning we were soaking with sweat. - Don Stanley , From left to right, Estus (Eck) Pegram, unknown, Steve Lankford, Harry Lankford, Bobby Pegram, and an unknown individual standing in a tobacco field, circa 1960. This farm was located on Dobson Street in Kernersville. Photo courtesy of Amber Lankford Coley , (Box 6) , "Before I was old enough to prime and hang tobacco, my job was 'handing', picking up three leaves at a time from the shed and holding the leaf bunch by the stem ends as I handed it to the person - usually a lady 'stringing' the tobacco bunches onto a tobacco stick." - Don Stanley , Pictured left to right: Alma Young, Etta 'Grandma' Rierson, and Brenda Young Stringing the tobacco leaves together and getting them ready to hang in the tobaco barn. Farm located on Pepper Road, between Oak Ridge and Kernersville, circa 1958. Photo Courtesy of Allen Young, (Box 7) , "The logs in the background were used to heat the tobacco barn. They would slide the logs into the fire as they burned to help keep it at a constant temperature." - Allen Young , Pictured left to right: Barbara Young, Annie Mae Young, Brenda Young, and Etta Rierson. Tying the tobacco leaves together before they were hung in the tobacco barn to be cured. Photo Courtesy of Allen Young, (Box 8) , "You would have to string it (the tobacco leaves) up and tie one good lookin' leaf around the top." - Lucille Kirkman Barrow , Pictured left to right: Alma Young, Brenda Young, and Elias Young. Tying the tobacco leaves together. This farm was located on Pepper Road, between Kernersville and Oak Ridge, circa 1950. Photo Courtesy of Allen Young, (Box 9) , "We were done pulling tobacco at the end of Labor Day and we would have a big chicken stew down at the barn." - Wayne Mabe , Davis Sears standing inside a pack house, where cured tobacco was stored before it was sent to auction. More tobacco stcks can be seen in the background. Photo Courtesy of Linda Sears, (Footer text) , The progression of tobacco growth. captured by Kernersville Museum volunteer Russ Gray through the first 17 weeks of growing. Shortly after the last picture was taken, these plants were harvested and taken to be cured., (Acknowledgments bottom right corner) , Educational material for this project provided by a generous grant from the Wells Fargo Corporation, as well as a generous grant from David and Patricia Peeler. , Funding for the Tobacco Barn Restoration Project made possible in part by a generous donation from the Jim and Mary Taylor Fund, as well as many other donors throughout our community. , The barn was originally located approximately 1.5 miles from where it stands today. The barn was originally built by Bernard Atkins and used on his 80+ acre tobacco farm. The barn was donated to the Kernersville Museum for the purposes of creating this outdoor exhibit by John and Bobbie Wolfe.