The Dancehall

Yet another component of the Farmer's House property is this truss building which served as a dance hall from the 1960s to the 1980s, hosting square dancing and similar events. While its original block foundation had crumbled, the beautiful original trusses and open spans made it ideal for adaptation and reuse. The building was lifted and provided with a new foundation, and the exterior was clad in thick rigid insulation that allows the original roof decking to remain exposed. The interior walls were clad in "tobacco sticks" from South Carolina—reclaimed wood that had been used to dry bundles of tobacco. The exterior is finished with thermally modified spruce, a treatment that protects the wood while allowing it to slowly develop a light silver patina.