Another out-building seen frequently in the Vermont landscape is the silo. These tall structures stored the grain or silage (fermented corn stalks used to feed cattle during the winter months).
By the 1890s, free-standing silos were being constructed adjacent to dairy barns. These early silos were generally squared, wooden structures with gable roofs, seen in the images below.
During the 1900s, polygonal wood silos of eight or ten sides were constructed.
From the 1890s through the 1940s, the wooden stave silo was popular. Constructed like a large barrel, the silo consisted of adjustable steel hoops holding together grooved, vertical, wood staves, as seen in the image below.
During the early 1900s, many silos were constructed of large, stacked, interlocking rings of poured concrete, seen in the images below.
Concrete stave silos began to appear in the early 1900s and soon became the most popular silo in Vermont, still being built today. Like the wooden stave silo, adjustable steel hoops held concrete staves in place, as seen in the images below.
During the 1920s and 1930s, some glazed tile silos were constructed.
In the 1960s and 1970s, steel silos were constructed, as seen in the image below.