Clinton D. Gilson Barn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Clinton D. Gilson Barn
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Clinton D. Gilson Barn
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Hebron, Indiana |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Built by | Gilson, Clinton David |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001229 |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 1984 |
The Clinton D. Gilson Farm is a great example of a farm built in the late 1800s. It includes many buildings, like the main barn, smaller sheds for chickens, and a workshop. This farm is about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northeast of Hebron, Indiana. The main building, the Clinton D. Gilson Barn, was built in 1892. It is so special that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This barn is the most important building on the Gilson Farm. Long ago, a windmill stood on one side of the barn, and an elevator was on the other.
Contents
What the Barn Looks Like Outside
The barn has a special roof shape called a gambrel roof. It is made of wood. The barn is 80 feet (24 m) long, 40 feet (12 m) wide, and 44 feet (13 m) tall. The lowest part of the roof is 27 feet (8.2 m) above the ground. A small tower, called a cupola, sits in the middle of the roof.
The barn was first painted red with white trim. In the 1950s, white siding was put over the old wood. The bottom part of the barn, called the foundation, is made of stone. These stones came all the way from Joliet, Illinois.
There are two big sliding doors in the middle of the north and south walls. Some smaller doors have been added over time. All the original windows are still there. They are tall, double windows with six small glass panes in each half. There are 14 of these windows on the lower part of the barn. Eight more are higher up on the walls. The gambrel roof is covered with cedar shingles. The cupola has windows with shutters on all four sides. Each side has a small pointed roof, called a gable, with metal trim on top.
Inside the Barn
Inside the barn, you can see huge wooden beams. These beams are 12 inches by 12 inches and are held together with wooden pegs. The main floor is at ground level. It is split into two areas. The east side was used for milk cows and was painted white. The west side was for horses and young cattle.
The upper floor has several areas for storing hay, called haymows. You can still see a hook used to move hay around. There are also gas pipes for the original gas lamps. Some of these old lamps are still stored away. When the barn was full of cows and horses, the upper floor could hold up to 100 long tons (100 t) of hay. A horse-powered elevator was used to lift the hay into the haymows.
Why This Barn is Important
The Gilson Barn is important for a few reasons. It is one of the biggest and most detailed barns in Porter County. It also shows the amazing work of Clinton D. Gilson, who owned and built it. The barn took a whole year to build. It was put together in 16 feet (4.9 m) sections. Then, a pulley system, pulled by a steam engine, lifted these sections into place.
Clinton Gilson was a skilled builder. He traveled with a team of workers to build houses and barns. He added a windmill to grind animal feed. He also put in an elevator to move hay to the haymow. And he installed gas lamps with pipes for light. Two other barns in Boone Township, Porter County, Indiana were also built by Gilson. However, the Maplehurst Farm Barn and the Arthur Gilson Barn do not have as many fancy details as the Gilson Barn.
Images for kids
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The Gilson Farm is a great example of a farm built in the late 1800s.
