Robert Buckles Round Barn, Mount Pulaski Illinois

Date added: June 04, 2023

Categories:
Illinois
Barn
Round Barn

The Buckles Barn is one of the few remaining round barns in central Illinois, and the only known round barn in this area constructed with vitrified tile.

The tile are unusual in that they are curved based on the barn's 30 feet radius. The barn was built in 1917 at a cost of $11,000. The farmhouse, which was built at the same time cost $17,000. The barn is a fine example of a round farm structure that was inspired by a promotional effort of the University of Illinois, A bulletin, developed by William J. Fraser at the Agricultural Experiment Station was published in 1910 on the topic of "The Economy of Round Barn". This effort by the university gave the round barn movement momentum and credibility. The interior of the Buckles Barn has some unique architectural features as well, including a circular, laminated beam 35 feet in diameter, and pie-shaped stalls divided by reinforced concrete partitions 4 inches thick, 10 feet long and 5 feet high. This was a rather innovative use of concrete for the time, and the builder experimented with corrugated metal reinforcement to make the slim wall section possible. The curved entry doors were made of wood which was soaked in water and pressed into shape.

The Buckles family (along with the Turleys) were very early settlers of Logan County. There were only six other families in the county when Robert Buckles settled there in 1822 and built a simple log house with his ax. Frank Turley, 90, who lived on the farm with the round barn from 1927-1940 is the great-great-grandson of James Turley, the first settler on Lake Fork and also one of the first men to settle in Logan County. The Indians designated him "Big Chief" and "Big Bostony". He arrived in Logan County in 1818 and made a claim on a piece of land that was later a part of the Buckles farm. On this land he built a double log home, the first ever built in Lake Fork Valley. His son, George W. Turley, was one of the three founders of Mt. Pulaski.

In 1827, Robert Buckles enlisted in the Winnebago War. Abraham Lincoln was a fellow soldier. They roughed it side by side and developed a close and lasting friendship.

Robert Buckles' grandson, also named Robert, acquired the farm on which the round barn is located in 1919 from a relative (Derius Buckles), who had to sell it due to financial reverses. The price of grain, which was at $2.30/bushel, suddenly dropped to .20-.30/bushel. Those holding grain in hopes of prices higher than $2.30/bushel were suddenly wiped out financially. At this point, the round barn was two years old.

In 1927, Frank E. Turley, also a descendant of Robert Buckles (1798-1866) began farming the land on which the round barn is located. He remained there until 1940 when he moved into town. He recalls the 1927 tornado which lifted the roof of the barn and moved it a bit sideways.

In 1958, a nearby rail car explosion blew out all of the glass from the windows in the round barn and broke some of the vitrified tile at the top of the wall. The glass was replaced. However, the tile and roof damage from the 1927 tornado had never been repaired.

Building Description

The Buckles Barn appears today much the same way as it did when it was constructed in 1917. The barn is a round, vitrified tile, two-story structure, 60 feet in diameter, with a height of 55 feet from the grade to the top of the cupola, Other prominent features include a conical-shaped, shingled roof, two levels of evenly spaced, casement windows with six lights each, and a large front entry with a wood-shingled canopy. There are also two smaller entryways mid-way around each side. The main entry door and the one of the east are curved and operate on a track. The passage door is curved and hinged.

On the interior, there are a series of pie-shaped stalls, which are divided by reinforced concrete partitions 4 inches thick, 10 feet long, and 5 feet high.

The second floor (loft) is supported by a circular, laminated beam approximately 35 feet in diameter.

The barn roof was set slightly ajar by a destructive tornado in 1927. The roof remained in this condition until the summer of 1982 when it was repaired. The building has not been used in recent years and some interior structural damage occurred due to leaks in the roof. However, a complete rehabilitation of the structure is now underway. The roof has been repaired and reshingled, and the interior structural damage is being repaired with all of the work carried out to match the original as much as possible. Parts of other old barns are being used in many cases.

The barn will be used for storage and will serve as an example of the techniques used in building round barns in the early part of this century.