This is not the oldest structure on the farm, only dating from the mid-1700s. The earliest was a small two-room house with attached dairy typical in this region built-in 1640. As the family grew and the farm grew more profitable, a separate house was built.
This hangar was built from rocks harvested from the surrounding fields. The stone and cement base was built to the historical high-water mark. Then handmade adobe blocks approximately 1/2 meter x 1/2 meter in size, some larger, some smaller, are stacked. Large oak trees are honed and used as posts of the opening and the joists for the roof.
*During this time, mills in the Pyrennes were able to be quite accurate in the dimensions. There was a water-driven mill nearby that perhaps provided these large timbers.
In the 1900s, the hangar was extended to provide bays for farm equipment. You can clearly see the difference in the roof tile. From the original hanger's handmade flat tiles to the manufactured rounded tile of the extension, little else has changed. Several years ago, we had this roof repaired and stabilized.
And if you have, thanks for reading...
Au revoir
