Where did the idea for the storage shed come from? Surprising or not, what we know as the modern day storage shed is something that has roots as far back as the cavemen. Just as mankind has always strived to expand his wealth and knowledge, it seems that even from early on he has felt the urge to expand his ownership over his own personal space.
Sheds as we know them
Ancient cultures from across the world found different ways to create storage spaces apart from their houses. The Egyptians stored things underground, and the Eskimos stored (and still store) things inside igloos. The shed as we know it in America today, however, owes its ancestry to the British
British Sheds and follies
Besides sheds used for storage, another kind of shed-like structures were built in England. These structures, called follies, resemble less the storage shed and more the luxury shed of today–the man cave or she shed. Whereas barns existed to store essentials, follies had seemingly no purpose whatsoever. They actually sprung up as a trend for the wealthy who had plenty of land to spare.
The first Brit to build one of these follies was Sir Thomas Tresham. He built Rushton Lodge in 1595. It was a building erected to express his Christian views on the Trinity, and the symbolism of the number three. There are three sides to the lodge, three floors, three windows on each floor, and three smoke-holes in the chimney.
Today, the idea of a shed is huge in the British psyche. It’s so big that they even have a yearly contest to decide who has created the best shed.
Evolution of the barn
Just as American sheds owe their ancestry to the British (the very word “shed” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “shud” which means “cover”), American barns are also close relatives to English barns.
The first colonists that came to America from England brought the English Barn with them. The English Barn was about 30×40 ft and was used to store small numbers of livestock and grain. As America formed into a nation, the barn evolved. Eventually it became the iconic Prairie Barn, intended for the wide open range, and then lastly the commercial barn that was popular in the early 1900s.
Sheds and barns today
Following in this tradition, Ulrich Barns offers sheds for sale in Texas that serve both traditional uses as well as the rising trends in alternative sheds – stables, she sheds, playrooms, office spaces and more.
Why have Ulrich build your shed?
Once you’ve decided that you want a shed, there are only so many options facing you. You can:
Build your own shed –if you have the time, parts and expertise to make a shed.
You can hire somebody to design your shed, and then contract someone to make it. I don’t even want to know how much that would cost.
You can pick up one of those plastic things you find at your local hardware store and maybe throw a shovel or two in it.
Or you can get in touch with www.ulrichlifestyle.com and have a quality shed made for you.