# What are these buildings for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339 "2016-05-08T21:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/21 "2016-05-10T01:36:17Z")
> [@Nefario](#): > > Yep. Or cosmetic cover / protection for electrical substation. Probably unlikely. You don’t want to enclose electrical substations, because: 1. they depend on air circulation to cool the wiring 2. they don’t want anything that will increase the fire risk around one. When they do have to cosmetically cover electrical substations, the modern solution is open to air circulation and has minimal fire risk. [Here’s a nearby example.](http://www.startribune.com/xcel-energy-substation-adds-new-landmark-to-hiawatha-ave/256541731/) The outside mesh sheathing is lit up at night by color-changing lights. ---
**Author:** ![RememberMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@RememberMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RememberMe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/22 "2016-05-10T10:02:26Z")
After reading the responses, I’ll provide some additional details. The buildings are tall, easily two stories tall. There are also 3 of them in a small area, but spaced far enough apart where using them as some sort of highway storage would not make sense. Pump houses for sewerage does not make sense because of their distance from suburban areas, this is an area where everyone is on wells and septic tanks. There is a lot of farmland in the area, so maybe pump houses for irrigation? But then why have them so tall? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![RememberMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@RememberMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RememberMe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/23 "2016-05-10T10:12:07Z")
Any another update: Reading some responses referencing tobacco barns, I did some quick googling, and found that tobacco barns are not uncommon in this county. For the record, location in Bryan county, GA, on the northern edge of the town of Pembroke. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/24 "2016-05-10T12:41:15Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Probably unlikely. > > You don’t want to enclose electrical substations, because: > > 1. they depend on air circulation to cool the wiring > 2. they don’t want anything that will increase the fire risk around one. > > When they do have to cosmetically cover electrical substations, the modern solution is open to air circulation and has minimal fire risk. [Here’s a nearby example.](http://www.startribune.com/xcel-energy-substation-adds-new-landmark-to-hiawatha-ave/256541731/) The outside mesh sheathing is lit up at night by color-changing lights. Toronto didn’t worry about all that… [Toronto Hydro’s not-so-hidden residential substations](http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/10/toronto_hydros_not-so-hidden_residential_substations/) [Power Houses: Toronto Hydro’s Camouflaged Substations](http://weburbanist.com/2012/02/05/power-houses-toronto-hydros-camouflaged-substations/) Pretty cool looking. ---
**Author:** ![Nefario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/25 "2016-05-10T13:53:20Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Probably unlikely. > When they do have to cosmetically cover electrical substations, the modern solution is open to air circulation and has minimal fire risk. Really?? [http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/20209/disguised-houses-help-purple-line-blend-into-neighborhoods/](http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/20209/disguised-houses-help-purple-line-blend-into-neighborhoods/) > **[Power Houses: Toronto Hydro’s Camouflaged Substations - WebUrbanist](https://weburbanist.com/2012/02/05/power-houses-toronto-hydros-camouflaged-substations/)** > > Power to the people! For a century Toronto Hydro has been designing stealthy electrical substation "homes" that blend in with their surrounding neighborhoods. > **[Transformer Houses](https://bldgblog.com/2006/06/transformer-houses/)** > > In 1987, Canadian photographer Robin Collyer began documenting houses that aren’t houses at all – they’re architecturally-disguised electrical substations, complete with windows, blinds… ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/26 "2016-05-10T13:59:08Z")
And there’s a pretty darned good echo in those houses, or so I hear 😉 ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/27 "2016-05-10T14:11:33Z")
> [@RememberMe](#): > > After reading the responses, I’ll provide some additional details. The buildings are tall, **easily two stories tall**. There are also 3 of them in a small area, but spaced far enough apart where using them as some sort of highway storage would not make sense. Pump houses for sewerage does not make sense because of their distance from suburban areas, this is an area where everyone is on wells and septic tanks. There is a lot of farmland in the area, so maybe pump houses for irrigation? But then why have them so tall? … [snip] Bolding mine WHOA … Are you sure … that’s 25 feet including the roof rake … at that scale them trees would be 4 foot in diameter. Now if the utility pole in the one picture is typical size, then that building is only one story tall, about 15 feet. For electrical, plumbing, storage or tobacco … it would make more sense to build just one building, cheaper that way. With three scattered about, we need something that is very site specific, like wells. They could be for local irrigation but also for municipal water supply, perhaps even back-up water source. Go ahead and break in … look around inside and tell us what you see … ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/28 "2016-05-10T14:29:19Z")
Although a couple posters have commented on the lack of doors, there are what are quite obviously man doors in each picture. There is also lane and a collection of culverts in the second picture suggesting something to do with highways of storm water management. I do not see electrical masts on either building, and a utility pole near one (and the not urban location) would suggest that power from buried utility is unlikely. Pump stations require power. The tall and narrow shape of the buildings does not makes sense for storage. I would say pipeline utility sheds, but I do not see any pipeline signs, or fence. Lots of such things around oil country here, but usually fenced off with buried line location liberally marked with signs. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/29 "2016-05-10T14:34:42Z")
Outhouses? I haven’t seen a fake house for hiding utilities for a long time but it used to be common enough in residential areas. Now I just see big metal boxes on them which apparently are magnetized because cars keep running right into them. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/30 "2016-05-10T15:18:33Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Bolding mine > > WHOA … > > Are you sure … that’s 25 feet including the roof rake … at that scale them trees would be 4 foot in diameter. Now if the utility pole in the one picture is typical size, then that building is only one story tall, about 15 feet. > > For electrical, plumbing, storage or tobacco … it would make more sense to build just one building, cheaper that way. With three scattered about, we need something that is very site specific, like wells. They could be for local irrigation but also for municipal water supply, perhaps even back-up water source. > > Go ahead and break in … look around inside and tell us what you see … I agree, wells or something similar is likely but you would think power o the sheds would be more obvious. Some of those trees are indeed pretty big. The ones behind the utility pole are at least 10’ past it yet are already 3 - 4 times the angular dimension in the photo. The culverts are most likely the common 3’ size, which corresponds nicely to what looks just like a man door. Shed looks 20-25 ’ tall to me. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/31 "2016-05-10T15:30:23Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > I agree, wells or something similar is likely but you would think power o the sheds would be more obvious. > > Some of those trees are indeed pretty big. The ones behind the utility pole are at least 10’ past it yet are already 3 - 4 times the angular dimension in the photo. The culverts are most likely the common 3’ size, which corresponds nicely to what looks just like a man door. Shed looks 20-25 ’ tall to me. Nice catch, I don’t see the electrical weatherhead _OR_ any underground conduit _OR_ an electric meter … very curious. I’m looking at the battens on the building’s siding … almost universally these are spaced two feet apart … if they are four feet, then the vent would be 4’x4’ (_very_ unusual) and … eh em … four foot diameter tree trunks in Georgia? I’d expect the trunks to be better buttressed that what I’m seeing. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/32 "2016-05-10T16:09:07Z")
Well I know absolutely nothing about trees in Georgia, to this Albertan it is a wet hot land that could have magically huge trees with terrifyingly hard wood. That being said we have a species of Doug Fir locally that grows many feet in diameter in arid Alberta, and right in town here there are lots of old poplars in the 3’ diameter range, the spruce in my back yard are over 2’. The trees in the picture look like a large needle pine, but hard to tell. I was looking at the vent too and you are right it would have to be much bigger than a typical gable vent. Exterior paneling in 4’ widths is not out of the ordinary though. God I should be getting work done rather than nerding on some sheds in Georgia. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/33 "2016-05-10T16:23:26Z")
> [@RememberMe](#): > > Like the title says, I pass these buildings in rural Georgia as part of my commute. They seem to have no windows, and a small hatch in the bottom. There are three identical ones all near each other. The land they are on looks to be not used for any commercial purpose. Anyone? > > [http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160508/e0ba9c0dc74096bbc649aae762327705.jpg](http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160508/e0ba9c0dc74096bbc649aae762327705.jpg) > > [http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160508/1d5c62627c3a39721a5a080edee5efe0.jpg](http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160508/1d5c62627c3a39721a5a080edee5efe0.jpg) > > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Have you tried looking up that property on your county Tax Assessor website? It might show a description/purpose in addition to owner and tax info. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/34 "2016-05-10T16:47:56Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > Well I know absolutely nothing about trees in Georgia, to this Albertan it is a wet hot land that could have magically huge trees with terrifyingly hard wood. That being said we have a species of Doug Fir locally that grows many feet in diameter in arid Alberta, and right in town here there are lots of old poplars in the 3’ diameter range, the spruce in my back yard are over 2’. The trees in the picture look like a large needle pine, but hard to tell. > > I was looking at the vent too and you are right it would have to be much bigger than a typical gable vent. Exterior paneling in 4’ widths is not out of the ordinary though. > > God I should be getting work done rather than nerding on some sheds in Georgia. Right … Douglas Fir … 4 foot diameter is just a baby … we have them up to and over ten foot here … and just south is Redwood country. The siding panels would 4’ wide, for sure, but the battens are just decorative. I think the OP just needs fifteen minute with an axe and we’ll all find out what they are. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/35 "2016-05-10T20:28:45Z")
These are in Georgia? They are disguised secret entrances to underground Obama FEMA camps, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/36 "2016-05-10T20:59:56Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Right … Douglas Fir … 4 foot diameter is just a baby … we have them up to and over ten foot here … and just south is Redwood country. The siding panels would 4’ wide, for sure, but the battens are just decorative. No idea about the buildings unless they are Forestry Service related, but those are Loblolly pines and are commonly 4’ or more in diameter: > [@](#): > > Loblolly pine can reach a height of 30–35 m (98–115 ft) with a diameter of 0.4–1.5 m (1.3–4.9 ft). Exceptional specimens may reach 50 m (160 ft) tall, the largest of the southern pines. I have several in my yard that exceed 100’ tall and are about 4.5’ in diameter. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/37 "2016-05-10T22:51:04Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Toronto didn’t worry about all that… > > [Toronto Hydro’s not-so-hidden residential substations](http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/10/toronto_hydros_not-so-hidden_residential_substations/) > > [Power Houses: Toronto Hydro’s Camouflaged Substations](http://weburbanist.com/2012/02/05/power-houses-toronto-hydros-camouflaged-substations/) > > Pretty cool looking. Those examples were built generations ago – up to 90 years old. I’d be surprised if they were doing it that way now. Whish is why I said “the modern solution…”. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/38 "2016-05-10T23:16:42Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Those examples were built generations ago – up to 90 years old. I’d be surprised if they were doing it that way now. Whish is why I said “the modern solution…”. I apologize for nitpicking, which is an annoyance at best. I had remembered seeing these places before and they were too cool to let slip by. They have similar camouflage for the ventilation shafts of the various tunnels going in and out of Manhattan, some mundane and some fancy, depending on the neighborhood. Probably also constructed years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/39 "2016-05-11T03:22:44Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > They have similar camouflage for the ventilation shafts of the various tunnels going in and out of Manhattan, some mundane and some fancy, depending on the neighborhood. Probably also constructed years ago. Cite(s), please! (Not because I disbelieve you – I just think it’d be neat to see pictures of some of these.) ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339/40 "2016-05-11T04:27:05Z")
> [@UncleBill](#): > > It looks to be a tobacco barn. > > [Private Site](https://virginiamodern.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/tobacco-barn-considering-a-lineage/) I was skeptical of it being a tobacco barn, I’m used to people hanging it in larger barns that also house animals and equipment, but [here](https://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/2014/08/12/tobacco-barn-mitchell-county/) [are](https://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/2015/01/07/tobacco-barn-denmark/) [some](https://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/2014/10/09/tobacco-barn-chula/) [Georgia](https://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/2013/02/19/green-tobacco-barn-snake-road/) [tobacco](https://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/2010/03/17/green-tobacco-barn-radio-station-road-3/) [barns](https://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/2010/03/17/green-tobacco-barn-radio-station-road-2/) that are exactly the same as the OP’s photos and the same as UncleBill’s link. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339.md?page=3)