As relics of an architectural experiment that never fully caught on, round barns are among the most anachronistic sights in the rural landscape. Their circular walls and conical roofs once promised efficiency and innovation, but they’re obsolete today1! That’s part of what makes stumbling across one, like the barn on County Road 800-East south of Albany, such a delight.
Albany’s round barn was built in 1908 at the direction of its original owner, Cirus Stafford. The landmark was designed by Benton Steele, who was responsible for at least three other round barns in Delaware County2. Steele, who lived from 1867 to 1946, is often called the father of Indiana’s round barns3. Despite his third-grade education, he carved out a career as a skilled carpenter, architect, and draftsman. He championed the efficiency and practicality of round barns with tireless passion4.Â
The barn Steele designed for Cirus Stafford features a domed roof with a diameter of seventy-five feet. It surrounds a central silo supported by a derrick that also rises seventy-five feet5. Unfortunately, the barn was in dire straits by 2002: seventeen of its forty-eight radiating rafters had failed, which left the once-proud structure teetering on the brink of collapse6. Despite pleas in the Muncie newspaper and calls for help to preservation groups, the effort to save the barn drew little response. Unfortunately, almost no one was willing to open their wallet.Â
Fortunately, the barn’s stewards -members of a family who owned the property since 19457– took matters into their own hands. With determination and no small amount of sacrifice, they brought in an Amish construction crew and invested $40,000 to shore up the century-old structure8. Today, Cirus Stafford’s old round barn is one of two that remain in Delaware County. It’s an architectural treasure, but also a testament to what persistence and pride can accomplish even if outside help never arrives.
Sources Cited
1 Slabaugh, S. (2003, May 18). Preserving his heritage. The Muncie Star Press. p. 1.
2 The Round Barns of Delaware County (2003, May 18). The Muncie Star Press. p. 4.
3 Davis, S. (2003, May 18). Advocate. The Muncie Star Press. p. 4.
4 (See footnote 4).
5 McBride, M. (2008, January 4). Albany farmer saves a big, round piece of history. The Muncie Star Press. p. 26.
6 (See footnote 5).
7 (See footnote 5).
8 (See footnote 5).
These round barns fascinate me. But one would never work for me – I need corners for keeping things I might need someday. 🙂
Corners are underrated.
Inspiring story that someone had the $ and decided to use it to preserve this bit of history. When I was a teenager in Greensboro, Henry county there was a round barn on WCR175S between WCR 400W and SCR 275W. near Mt Lawn, and the now defunct Henry County Coon Hunters club. It has been gone for several decades, perhaps longer.
I hate that so many are disappearing. One near Yorktown came down perhaps twenty-five years ago.