A lot of Maine is rural, so many houses have a big barn nearby. That is common elsewhere but Maine adds its own twist by connecting the two. I would say about 70% of the barns are attached to the house by one or two smaller buildings. Usually it's clear to see that the in-between part was added after the fact, although sometimes they do a nice job of making it match. I call them House-Barns, and some of them are huge.
Considering the winters they have up here (downeast!), this makes good sense. Going to and from the barn in winter has to be a pain. But a local person gave me an even better reason for the join-up. As she pointed out, many of these are older buildings and, according to her, the small in-between room often includes an outhouse. And that makes even more sense - it's bad enough to go to the barn in the winter, but to go outside to the restroom?
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