Turning off route 52, visitors are greeted with the soft crunch of gravel as they approach the old structure. Under a canopy of trees sits a 200-year-old barn, with stucco and brick walls, and small windows peering into shelves filled with books. Entering the barn, the smell of old books fills the air, and every surface is wonderfully littered with books. The checkout counter sits across from the door, the wall behind covered in elegant editions dating back to the 1800’s.   

For the last 77 years, Baldwin’s Book Barn, a two-century dairy barn, has served as a secondhand bookstore. The Barn’s manager, Carol Rauch, has been working with the barn since she initially started volunteering in 2010. She explained that the barn now holds approximately 300,000 books in its five stories. 

With its wide selection of second-hand books, the book barn serves as a fantastic source for students seeking literary sources. The shelves cover everything from astronomy to zoology, making the Barn a great point of reference for any student in need of research materials. 

In the entrance, there is a table covered in books, waiting to be organized into their separate designations. An old stove sits nearby, the only heat for the barn during the winter. A section of shelves dedicated to Andrew Wyeth sit by the door to the first hallway.

Walking into the first hallway, classic literature covers the left wall, a small staircase on the right. Further down is the Art room, where artwork is displayed and sold, in addition to collections of books typically sold to movie companies. 

From there, a staircase connects to the office rooms, which had previously been bedrooms. At one point, those offices ran an online book selling service, but now the barn only sells in person. 

Off the first hallway there are doorways into separate sections of books, including books on gardening and children’s books. Between the doorways a staircase leads to the second floor. The staircase is thin with steep steps, and most visitors must duck to get past its low ceiling. The sight on the other side is nothing short of spectacular. 

Rows of shelves fill the space, small rooms that intertwine into one another into a perfect maze of literary fascination. Each shelf is marked with its topic, ranging from “military history” to “needlework and crafts”. 

Many of the books sit on shelves made from repurposed wooden crates, some had wine labels, others had carried fruit.

Carol explained that the organization of the store is based on topics, and that people will have to hunt down what they are seeking. 

“Take a map and go find it,” she said, her love of the old barn obvious from the smile on her face. 

Exploring the labyrinth of books, the sun trickles in through the window, splashing light over their spines, each uniquely patterned with a history of its own. 

Proceeding forward, the musty smell of books welcomes its visitors, pulling them deeper into the shelves. 

According to Carol, there are also multiple ghosts living in the barn, though she believes they are all peaceful. One ghost was seen on the upper floors, sitting and reading, as though occupied by all the books in the barn.

“I’ve been in this barn alone late at night,” she explained, her gaze on the shelves beside her, “these spirits just don’t want to leave the barn.”

The wide range of books found in the barn is an ideal place to seek obscure information, unique books, and old editions. 

Delaware County Community College student, Matt Aukamp, is a frequent visitor to the unique bookstore. 

“I love to read, and the book barn just has so many books. Obscure books, rare books, old books, and just a ton about every subject I could want to read about”. 

With books covering every surface, it's hard to imagine leaving without at least one great find. Matt described his favorite part of the old barn.

“My favorite part of the book barn is a small section on... I think the third floor. It's where they keep half the fiction and all the sci-fi/fantasy. It's behind a big creaky door and the floor is so old that there are planks of plywood randomly nailed around to keep you from falling through. It almost feels like a kid's treehouse but filled with books”.

The old barn shows signs of its age, but that appears to only add to the love it receives. The barn’s exposed beams and worn-out floors prove just how many people have spent time wandering its floors. 

“Besides the fact that it's a giant, dilapidated barn, the book barn just has a weird charm, and a massive selection,” Matt explained, “Every time I go to the book barn, I just feel inspired to read more. I look around at the crazy amount of books from all eras and I think about just how much has been written over time and I think ‘I want to read everything’”.

Visitors may never be able to read every book ever written, but the Baldwin book barn is an inspiring place to start.