The Appalachian Barn Alliance is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the rural heritage of Madison County and surrounding areas through the documentation of the historical barn building traditions and the barns they represent. The organization does this through photos, oral histories and architectural drawings.

This information is archived with the NC State Division of Cultural Resources, at the Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies at Mars Hill University, and is accessible on the website for the organization, www.appalachianbarns.org.

Community volunteers have come together to raise the money and apply for grants to make this goal a reality. The group develops self-guided tours of historic barns throughout the county and has a goal to help establish a farmstead.

During the mid 1900s, Madison County was the largest producer of burley tobacco in the state and the organization seeks to preserve that heritage.