Ryan Round Barn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ryan Round Barn
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Henry County, Illinois, USA |
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| Nearest city | Kewanee |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architectural style | Round barns |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000762 |
| Added to NRHP | December 31, 1974 |
The Ryan Round Barn is a special old building. It is a round barn located near Kewanee, Illinois. You can find it inside Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park. This barn is famous because of its unique round shape.
Contents
The Story of the Ryan Round Barn
How the Barn Was Built
The Ryan Round Barn was finished in 1910. It was built for a man named Laurence Ryan. A German builder named Feurst helped create this amazing structure.
Laurence Ryan was a very smart doctor. He was a brain surgeon in Chicago. Even though he worked in the big city, he was originally from Kewanee. Dr. Ryan went to medical school at Loyola University Chicago. He also studied in other countries like Germany and Austria. Later, he became the head of the Medical School at Loyola.
Why Dr. Ryan Built a Round Barn
In 1908, Dr. Ryan bought a large piece of land. It was about 320 acres. He wanted a quiet place away from his busy doctor's life. He also loved raising Black Angus cattle. The round barn was designed to be a perfect home for his cows. It allowed them to be kept, fed, and cared for all under one roof.
The Barn's Journey Through Time
After Dr. Ryan passed away in 1939, the barn was sold. A person named E. A. Johnson from Annawan owned it for a while. Then, in 1967, the state bought the barn.
The Ryan Round Barn became a nationally recognized landmark. On December 31, 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This was a big deal because it was the first round barn in Illinois to get this honor!
In 1984, a group called the Friends of Johnson Park Foundation was started. Their main goal was to help save and protect the Round Barn. Today, you can visit the barn. It has a display of old farm tools and machines. It is open to visitors during certain times of the year.
What Makes the Barn Special
Its Unique Shape and Size
The Ryan Round Barn is very impressive. It stands 61 feet tall. It is also 74 feet wide across its base. This makes it the largest round barn in the entire state of Illinois!
Inside the Barn
The inside of the barn has three and a half levels. In the very center, there is a tall silo. A silo is a tower used to store grain or animal feed.
The roof of the barn is also interesting. It has four special windows called gambrel dormers. These are spaced evenly around the roof's edge. At the very top, there is a small tower called a cupola. The wooden boards on the sides of the barn are placed horizontally. This helps create its smooth, continuous round shape.
See also
- Round barns in Illinois
- List of round barns#Illinois
