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Girvin Barn

swallow's nest

The Swallow’s Nest

The Saltbox form consists of a, typically, gabled roof in which one slope is much longer than the other.  Many roofs have the appearance of a saltbox, but owe their silhouette to the addition of a lean-to which may have been needed for cattle, implements or other purposes (Eric Arthur and Dudley Witney, The Barn).

While there are six listed barns in Spokane County with the saltbox shape, only the Louis Domrese Barn, which was originally built with the extended slope, could be considered a “true” saltbox barn.  The other five barns have been altered with the addition of a side shed that continues the roof line and which achieves the current saltbox form.  In a rather unique combination, the Swallow’s Nest is a stylistic blend of the saltbox form and the Dutch gambrel roof.