Bert Leedy Round Barn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bert Leedy Round Barn
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View from U.S. Route 31
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | Southwestern corner of the junction of County Road 375N and U.S. Route 31, north of Rochester, Richland Township, Fulton County, Indiana |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1924 |
| Built by | C.V. Kindig |
| Architectural style | Round barn |
| MPS | Round and Polygonal Barns of Indiana MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000182 |
| Added to NRHP | April 2, 1993 |
The Bert Leedy Round Barn is a very special building. It is also known as the Paxton Round Barn or the Fulton County Historical Society Round Barn. This unique round barn is located in Richland Township, near Rochester, Indiana, United States.
It was built in 1924. Because it is so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. This list recognizes places that are important in American history. The barn was moved to its current spot in 1989. It became part of an open-air museum after a tornado damaged it.
The Fulton County Historical Society Museum is a modern building. It stands about 75 feet northwest of the barn. There is parking for the museum to the northeast of the barn. A large dirt ramp on the north side of the barn leads to its main entrance.
Contents
What the Barn Looks Like Outside
This barn is circular, meaning it's shaped like a giant circle. It has two stories. The roof is a special three-pitch gambrel style. On top of the roof is a round cupola. A cupola is like a small tower with windows. These windows let natural light into the main floor of the barn.
The main level of the barn uses a building method called balloon framing. This was the original way it was built. It sits on strong concrete walls that make up the lower level. When the barn was moved in 1990, about two-thirds of the original roof materials were used to rebuild the roof.
The roof is covered with wood shingles. The main level walls are covered in vertical wood siding, painted white. The lower level walls are made of poured concrete.
Inside the Barn
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The main doors of the barn are made of vertical wood planks. They slide along tracks above and are curved to fit the barn's round shape. There's a smaller door built into the left sliding door. This lets people go in and out without opening the huge main doors. Another main door is on the east side of the barn. It does not have a ramp.
The lower level of the barn has windows placed all around. These windows were put into the new foundation when the barn was moved. They came from the barn's original foundation. A door on the west side of this level also slides on an overhead track. A special fire door was added on the south side during a recent repair. This was done to meet safety rules.
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The lower inside of the barn has a smooth concrete floor. Long ago, farm animals lived on this level. The space is set up around a central area for storage or pens. It gets a lot of light from the windows around the edges. Strong laminated beams are above the central feed alley. These beams are held up by posts that mark the edge of the feeding area. More posts run along both sides of the central drive.
The floor supports for the upper level spread out from the outer walls towards the central drive. Then they run north and south over the central drive. In the middle, on the south side, there are pens with sliding gates. These are between the feed alley and the central drive. On the north side, permanent stairs lead up to the upper haymow. The main upper level is quite dark, except for the light coming from the cupola's windows. A 5 by 5 feet (1.5 by 1.5 m) square grain bin is next to the stairs from the lower level. It does not reach the roof. The rest of the main level is open. You can see the balloon framing of the walls and the roof. The roof system does not need many supports. It only has two laminated beams where the three roof pitches meet.
Why This Barn is Important
This barn is a great example of the "round barn" idea. This idea became popular in American farming around the late 1800s and early 1900s. Round barns showed how farmers used science and modern engineering to build better barns. The goal was to make farms more efficient and earn more money.
The Bert Leedy Round Barn is an excellent example of the work of C. V. Kindig and Sons. They were the best round barn builders in northwestern Indiana during the early 1900s. This barn is the last known example of their work. One important building method used in round barns is called balloon framing. This method uses long, continuous wooden pieces for the walls. This means fewer support posts are needed inside. Because of this, the inside of barns like the Leedy Barn could be more open and useful for farmers. The idea was that a more efficient barn would help the farm make more money.
Who Owned the Barn
The first owner of the barn was Bert Leedy. He had lost his old barn in a fire in September 1924. Bert talked to his brother, Ezra, who owned a round barn. Ezra convinced him that a round barn could be built faster than a regular barn. This was important so Bert could have shelter for his equipment and animals before winter.
Bert Leedy then contacted C. V. Kindig and Sons. The Kindig family built most of the round barns in Fulton County. The concrete foundation and lower level walls were poured in just three days! When it was finished, the lower level could hold eight horses, thirty sheep, eight cows, eight calves, and eight feeder steers. The upper level haymow could hold 50 to 60 loads of hay and 10 to 12 loads of straw. It also had a wheat bin that could hold 30 bushels.
Bert Leedy owned the barn and farm until 1972. Then he sold it to the Partridge family. Harold and Opal Partridge owned the round barn from 1973 to 1975. Larry and Patty Paxton owned the barn from 1975 to 1989.
In 1989, a tornado damaged the barn. The Paxton family decided to donate it to the Fulton County Historical Society. They said the Society could have it if they moved it. So, the barn was moved to its current location on U.S. 31, next to Fulton County's history museum. The move started on November 30, 1989, and the restoration was finished on June 20, 1990. About two-thirds of the lumber used was original, and about one-third was new. The roof was also new. Fred Carr, a local carpenter, rebuilt the barn from 1990 to 1991. Eugene Chudzynski, a local engineer, drew the plans for the renovation. The Society officially opened the barn on June 22, 1991.
The Leedy round barn was damaged again by a tornado or strong wind on August 15, 2015. The Historical Society rebuilt it once more. This time, an Amish company helped rebuild it for the museum.
Images for kids
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View from U.S. Route 31
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Ground floor of Bert Leedy Round Barn; Fulton County, Indiana
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Hay Mow of Bert Leedy Round Barn; Fulton County, Indiana
