Delaware County in New York State is home to an agricultural industry that dates back well over 200 years, with farming being the foundation on which with county was built.

As of 2022, according to the Agricultural Statistics Summary produced by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, there were 579 farms remaining in Delaware County. The farms operated on 128,232 acres of land in a variety of agricultural sectors including dairy farming, livestock and meat production, vegetables and specialty crops, forestry and agroforestry (such as maple syrup production).   

Many of these area farms are home to picturesque barns of all types and distinguishing characteristics, with some still in active use while others are in a decades-long state of neglect. Some of these barns are architecturally significant or are historic landmarks, while others represent the commercial and social history of the community.

Whatever their state, and given today’s fast paced world, these barns have perhaps taken on meaning beyond their original functional use, representing the slower era of yesteryear while continuing as iconic symbols of this country’s agricultural roots. They offer a bridge between the past and the present.

The barns pictured here are characteristic of the pastoral beauty that can be found throughout Delaware County, New York.

Kortright Barn

North Harpersfield Barn

Hoseaville Barn

Maple Shade Farm, Delhi, New YorkThe Maple Shade Farm, located in Delhi, New York, was first settled by Daniel Frisbee (1781-1860), son of Judge Gideon Frisbee, an early settler of Delaware County and a prominent local farmer.

Red Barn, Vega

Kortright Barn

Pindars Corners Barn

Ce Car Farm

Kelly Round BarnThe picturesque Kelly Round Barn is located on Route 30 in Halcottsville, New York, approximately five miles north of the village of Margaretville.

The barn was constructed circa 1893 as part of a dairy farm operated by the Kelly brothers, including Hiram, David, Norman and George. The circular barn is two stories tall, approximately 90 feet in diameter and rests on a solid stone foundation. The ground floor of the barn housed the cows, while the second floor functioned as hay storage.

Frisbee Barn, Delhi, New YorkThe Frisbee Barn is located at the Delaware County Historical Association in Delhi, New York. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.