1980-1990s There was a made for TV movie about a Farmer who had promised his wife a new house, but built a new barn instead. She was deeply hurt and with the children moved the household into the barn one day when he went into town.
In any case, in the old days (Middle Ages) The cattle and animals lived on the first floor and you lived on the 2nd! They produced some heat that helped warm your house and it was easier to go down to check on them, milk them etc.
I had the original 1900’s ‘Homestead House’ at my other farm. It was built into the side of the hill and the bottom was a field stone barn and the top was a small, two room house where they lived while they were building the ‘Big House’ which was a Colonial Four-Square which you can find all over Wisconsin.
I never DID find the site of the outhouse, but there had to have been one. ;)