The barn was the center of farm activity, storing hay and corn for animals, holding the cotton crop until enough had accumulated to fill a wagon for transport to the gin, sheltering mules, horses, cows, and pigs, and protecting farm equipment and tools from the weather. Many barns in Louisiana were built of cypress and were usually of simple pole construction, with four rows of poles set into the ground and the frame attached to them. Their roofs were made of tin, and they usually had a loft for storing hay and cotton. A breezeway ran the full length of the barn for cooling, with animal stalls and feed rooms on each side, and many farmers built lean-tos on the outside to store tools and farm equipment.