Collecting the data about the barns and the stories passed on by ancestors to the newer generation is the mission of the organization. One such story is of the D. Nelson Anderson Barn in the Mars Hill area. Part of an original 600+ acre purchase in the 1797, the land included an active Indian path and because
the area had only recently been opened to white settlement, the first family was concerned about possible hostilities. The log house next to the barn, was built by John Anderson, thought by family members to have been built around 1840. According to family members, it has notches cut in the log walls, reportedly for musket placement to defend against Indian attack, and a hollow cut into one log for hiding valuables and money.

For more information about the Appalachian Barn Alliance, click here.