Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It. : Documenting the Vernacular Structures of a Historic Flue-Curing Tobacco Farming Practice

Historic flue-curing tobacco barns in rural North Carolina are rapidly disappearing from the landscape and falling victim to demolition by neglect, as well as urban and suburban growth. Currently, the preservation of these structures remains in the hands of farmers or landowners, and few are being saved. This thesis fosters an awareness for the importance of flue-curing tobacco barns, demonstrates the receptivity of various public outreach platforms, and summarizes the creation of a tobacco barn survey and website devoted to the documentation of flue-curing tobacco barns in North Carolina. Data was gathered through a survey examining location, materials, photographs, and condition of the tobacco barns. The website is crowd-sourced, receiving data and input from individuals in Piedmont North Carolina, and information is continuously updated allowing for real time management. Tobacco barn documentation is important, as each barn holds a unique history in the expansion and development of agriculture in the United States, as well as vestiges of time honored traditions and practices no longer used. Results from this thesis give insight to the structural survival of tobacco barns on the landscape, and the lack of interest towards preserving these structures