Gerald Harbach Round Barn
Encyclopedia
The Gerald Harbach Round Barn is a round barn
near Eleroy
, an unincorporated community
in Stephenson County
, Illinois
, United States
. The builder and designer of the building are unknown but it is very similar to round barns designed by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Hass Brothers. It was probably built around the same time as the James Bruce Round Barn
, erected in 1914, in Freeport
. The Harbach Round Barn was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 1984.
Gerald Harbach Round Barn stands upon a poured concrete
foundation near the unincorporated community of Eleroy
in Stephenson County, Illinois
, United States
. The wood sided exterior has been covered in asphalt
since the building's construction. The barn's
main, ground level entrance, is in the west quadrant and over the entrance is the loft
door which is a rectangular opening in the ceiling. Each rafter of the single hip roof
is braced with a nailed beam four feet (1.2 m) above and four feet (1.2 m) below, on the opposite side, the roof hip. In addition, there are beams nailed diagonally between the studs in the loft to brace the building against strong winds. The roof exterior is capped with a short cupola
.
Out of the extant barns in Stephenson County that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
the Harbach Round Barn is the most altered from its original state. The two, interior loft plates have been replaced with steel
beams, hoisted by steel jacks. The animal entrance, in the southeast quadrant of the barn, has also been sealed since the building is primarily used for storage.
The precise builder and designer of the Harbach Round Barn are unknown. The characteristics of the roof joints and studs suggest that the barn was built around the same time as the Charles Fehr Round Barn
, near Orangeville
, and the James Bruce Round Barn
near Freeport
, though, much like the designer, the exact date of construction is unknown. The Bruce Round Barn, a Shaffer and Haas structure was built in 1914. These characteristics also suggest that the barn was designed by the Haas Brothers–Jeremiah Shaffer team.
s that were constructed in a four county area, the Stephenson County area, that includes Winnebago County
, Stephenson County and Rock
and Green
Counties in Wisconsin
. Twenty one of those barns, including the Harbach Round Barn are within Stephenson County.
The Harbach Round Barn is an example of a noteworthy design variation within round barn
design, specifically because of its specially braced roof. It is not entirely unique; its cupola and roof make it very similar to the Fehr Round Barn. The main difference in the Fehr and Harbach Round Barns is the Harbach's lack of a central storage silo
. The building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1984 as part of a Multiple Property Submission.
Round barn
A round barn is a historic barn design that could be octagonal, polygonal, or circular in plan. Though round barns were not as popular as some other barn designs, their unique shape makes them noticeable. The years from 1880–1920 represent the height of round barn construction. Round barn...
near Eleroy
Eleroy, Illinois
Eleroy is an unincorporated community in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 85 at the 2000 census.-External links:*...
, an unincorporated community
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Stephenson County
Stephenson County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,979 people, 19,785 households, and 13,473 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile . There were 21,713 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The builder and designer of the building are unknown but it is very similar to round barns designed by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Hass Brothers. It was probably built around the same time as the James Bruce Round Barn
James Bruce Round Barn
The James Bruce Round Barn is a round barn located near the Stephenson County, Illinois city of Freeport, United States. The barn was constructed in 1914 by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Haas Brothers, who were responsible for at least a dozen round barns in the area...
, erected in 1914, in Freeport
Freeport, Illinois
Freeport is a city in and the county seat of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,443 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Freeport is George W...
. The Harbach Round Barn was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1984.
Architecture
The 55 foot (16.8 m) diameterDiameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
Gerald Harbach Round Barn stands upon a poured concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
foundation near the unincorporated community of Eleroy
Eleroy, Illinois
Eleroy is an unincorporated community in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 85 at the 2000 census.-External links:*...
in Stephenson County, Illinois
Stephenson County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,979 people, 19,785 households, and 13,473 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile . There were 21,713 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The wood sided exterior has been covered in asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
since the building's construction. The barn's
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
main, ground level entrance, is in the west quadrant and over the entrance is the loft
Loft
A loft can be an upper story or attic in a building, directly under the roof. Alternatively, a loft apartment refers to large adaptable open space, often converted for residential use from some other use, often light industrial...
door which is a rectangular opening in the ceiling. Each rafter of the single hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
is braced with a nailed beam four feet (1.2 m) above and four feet (1.2 m) below, on the opposite side, the roof hip. In addition, there are beams nailed diagonally between the studs in the loft to brace the building against strong winds. The roof exterior is capped with a short cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
.
Out of the extant barns in Stephenson County that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
the Harbach Round Barn is the most altered from its original state. The two, interior loft plates have been replaced with steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
beams, hoisted by steel jacks. The animal entrance, in the southeast quadrant of the barn, has also been sealed since the building is primarily used for storage.
The precise builder and designer of the Harbach Round Barn are unknown. The characteristics of the roof joints and studs suggest that the barn was built around the same time as the Charles Fehr Round Barn
Charles Fehr Round Barn
The Charles Fehr Round Barn is a round barn in the U.S. state of Illinois near the Stephenson County village of Orangeville. The barn was built in 1912 by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Haas Brothers about one half mile from the Illinois–Wisconsin state border. The building is the first...
, near Orangeville
Orangeville, Illinois
Orangeville is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 793 at the 2010 census, up from 751 at the 2000 census. The area's earliest white settlers arrived in 1833 and the village was platted in 1851 by John Bower, who is considered the village founder. In 1867...
, and the James Bruce Round Barn
James Bruce Round Barn
The James Bruce Round Barn is a round barn located near the Stephenson County, Illinois city of Freeport, United States. The barn was constructed in 1914 by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Haas Brothers, who were responsible for at least a dozen round barns in the area...
near Freeport
Freeport, Illinois
Freeport is a city in and the county seat of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,443 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Freeport is George W...
, though, much like the designer, the exact date of construction is unknown. The Bruce Round Barn, a Shaffer and Haas structure was built in 1914. These characteristics also suggest that the barn was designed by the Haas Brothers–Jeremiah Shaffer team.
Significance
The Gerald Harbach Round Barn is one of 31 round barnRound barn
A round barn is a historic barn design that could be octagonal, polygonal, or circular in plan. Though round barns were not as popular as some other barn designs, their unique shape makes them noticeable. The years from 1880–1920 represent the height of round barn construction. Round barn...
s that were constructed in a four county area, the Stephenson County area, that includes Winnebago County
Winnebago County, Illinois
Winnebago County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 295,266, which is an increase of 6.1% from 278,418 in 2000...
, Stephenson County and Rock
Rock County, Wisconsin
-Unincorporated communities:-Further reading:* . Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908....
and Green
Green County, Wisconsin
Green County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 33,647. Its county seat is Monroe.-Geography:According to the U.S...
Counties in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Twenty one of those barns, including the Harbach Round Barn are within Stephenson County.
The Harbach Round Barn is an example of a noteworthy design variation within round barn
Round barn
A round barn is a historic barn design that could be octagonal, polygonal, or circular in plan. Though round barns were not as popular as some other barn designs, their unique shape makes them noticeable. The years from 1880–1920 represent the height of round barn construction. Round barn...
design, specifically because of its specially braced roof. It is not entirely unique; its cupola and roof make it very similar to the Fehr Round Barn. The main difference in the Fehr and Harbach Round Barns is the Harbach's lack of a central storage silo
Storage silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store grain or fermented feed known as silage. Silos are more commonly used for bulk storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon black, woodchips, food products and sawdust. Three types of silos are in widespread use...
. The building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1984 as part of a Multiple Property Submission.
See also
- Charles Fehr Round BarnCharles Fehr Round BarnThe Charles Fehr Round Barn is a round barn in the U.S. state of Illinois near the Stephenson County village of Orangeville. The barn was built in 1912 by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Haas Brothers about one half mile from the Illinois–Wisconsin state border. The building is the first...
- Dennis Otte Round BarnDennis Otte Round BarnThe Dennis Otte Round Barn is a round barn in the U.S. state of Illinois near the unincorporated Stephenson County community of Eleroy. The barn was built in 1930 by Herman Altenbern and has a diameter of 54 feet . The barn is representative of the last round barn design variations that evolved....
- James Bruce Round BarnJames Bruce Round BarnThe James Bruce Round Barn is a round barn located near the Stephenson County, Illinois city of Freeport, United States. The barn was constructed in 1914 by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Haas Brothers, who were responsible for at least a dozen round barns in the area...
- Robert Weber Round BarnRobert Weber Round BarnThe Robert Weber Round Barn is a round barn located east of Durand, Illinois, United States along Illinois Route 75 in Harrison Township. The Weber barn was constructed in 1917 and features a roof designed and built by the Haas Brothers, who worked on other area round barns. The barn is in...