Gerald Harbach Round Barn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gerald Harbach Round Barn
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Eleroy, Stephenson County, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | c. 1914 |
| Architectural style | Round barn |
| MPS | Round Barns in Illinois TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001155 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1984 |
The Gerald Harbach Round Barn is a special kind of barn that is shaped like a circle. It is located near Eleroy, a small community in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. We don't know exactly who built or designed this barn. However, it looks a lot like other round barns made by Jeremiah Shaffer and the Hass Brothers. It was likely built around 1914, similar to the James Bruce Round Barn. The Harbach Round Barn was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it's an important historical building.
Barn Design and Features
The Gerald Harbach Round Barn is about 55 feet (16.8 meters) wide. It sits on a strong concrete base. The outside of the barn was originally made of wood. Later, it was covered with asphalt to protect it.
The main door for the barn is on the west side. Above this door, there's an opening for the loft. The loft is an upper area, like an attic, used for storage. The barn has a single hip roof, which means the roof slopes down on all sides. Inside, strong wooden beams support the roof. These beams are nailed in a special way to make the barn sturdy, especially against strong winds. At the very top of the roof, there's a small, decorative tower called a cupola.
Over time, some parts of the Harbach Round Barn have changed. For example, the two main supports in the loft were replaced with strong steel beams. These beams are held up by steel jacks. Also, an old entrance for animals on the southeast side has been closed off. This is because the barn is mostly used for storage now.
We don't know the exact builder or designer of this barn. But the way its roof joints and supports are built suggests it was made around the same time as the Charles Fehr Round Barn and the James Bruce Round Barn. The James Bruce Round Barn was built in 1914 by Shaffer and Haas. This makes experts think the Harbach barn might also have been designed by the Haas Brothers and Jeremiah Shaffer team.
Why This Barn is Important
The Gerald Harbach Round Barn is one of many round barns built in this area. There were 31 round barns constructed across four counties: Winnebago County, Stephenson County in Illinois, and Rock and Green Counties in Wisconsin. Twenty-one of these barns, including the Harbach Round Barn, are in Stephenson County alone.
This barn is a great example of a special kind of round barn design. Its unique roof structure, with extra bracing, makes it stand out. It's quite similar to the Fehr Round Barn, especially with its cupola and roof style. However, one big difference is that the Harbach barn does not have a central storage silo inside.
The Gerald Harbach Round Barn was officially added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1984. This was part of a larger effort to recognize many important round barns in the area.
