Reamer Barn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Reamer Barn
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Front of the barn
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Southern side of State Route 511, east of Quarry Rd. and west of Oberlin, Ohio |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1897 |
| Architect | Charlie Glen; Fred Copland |
| Architectural style | Art Nouveau |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001889 |
| Added to NRHP | March 21, 1979 |
The Reamer Barn is an old and special barn located near Oberlin, in Ohio. It was built a long time ago, at the end of the 1800s. This barn was made for a farmer who wanted a nice place for his cows. It's famous because of its unique and interesting design.
History of the Reamer Barn
The Reamer Barn was built for Daniel P. Reamer. He was born in Pennsylvania in the 1800s. Daniel moved to Ohio and opened stores in Oberlin and Wellington. Later, he moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1872. There, he became very good at selling furniture. He worked for a company called A.H. Andrews Furniture Company.
After a few years, Daniel decided to move back to Ohio. He settled in Oberlin again in the late 1870s. About twenty years later, he bought some Jersey cattle. He wanted a new barn for them. Instead of a simple barn, he hired his nephew, Daniel A. Reamer, to design it. His nephew created a special design inspired by Swiss and Gothic Revival styles.
The new barn was built on the foundation of an older building from 1837. Daniel P. Reamer used the barn for three years until he passed away in 1900. In 1907, the Dudley family bought the property. They used it as a dairy farm until the 1950s. Later owners did not use the barn for cows. By the 1970s, it was mostly used for storage.
Unique Barn Design
The Reamer Barn has a special style called Art Nouveau. Its walls are made of weatherboarded wood. The roof has a pointed shape called a gable. On top of the roof, there are three cool-looking ventilators. These help air move through the barn.
Other interesting parts of the barn's design include round panels on its sides. There's also a fancy decorative board called a bargeboard. This board sticks out about three feet from one end of the building. People noticed these design elements soon after the barn was built. They were special because they looked good and were useful. It was rare to see such detailed architecture on a farm building back then.
Protecting the Barn
Even though the Reamer Barn was used for storage, it was still very important. In the late 1900s, a study looked at old buildings in New Russia Township. The Reamer Barn was chosen as one of the most important buildings there.
Because of its unique design, the barn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This list helps protect important historical places. The Reamer Barn is one of twelve places in and around Oberlin that are on this special list.
