W. H. York Round Barn - Thompson Barn, Lodi Indiana

Date added: April 20, 2023 Categories: Indiana Barn Round Barn

The W.H. York Round Barn, built in 1895, was the first true circular barn built in Indiana. After 1936, round and polygonal barns were considered obsolete; the last round barn to be erected in Indiana dates from that year.

The York Barn was the first true circular barn to be erected in Indiana. Earlier central plan barns were octagonal. In the 1880s, Franklin King publicized his efforts at round barn construction. The York Barn shows influence of the early octagonal barns, which called for elaborate internal bracing to support the roof. The exterior form of the York Barn, however, shows the influence of King's work. Two other round barns were erected in Indiana during the 19^th century: in 1896 (Henry County, Fall Creek Township) and in 1898 (Madison County, Jackson Township). Both have been demolished, leaving the York Barn as the only 19^th century round barn in the state. Round barns became the most popular style of central plan barn in Indiana; about two-thirds of the round and polygonal barns erected in the state were round.

W.H. York was a successful Parke County farmer who had the round barn erected in c.1895. The farmstead consisted of a house and two sheds as well as the barn. The house has long since been abandoned and is deteriorated, leaving the round barn isolated. In the 1960s, R.F. Thompson of nearby Cayuga bought the property.

Barn Description

In rural Parke County, just east of Lodi and the Coal Creek Covered Bridge, stands the W.H. York Round Barn. Built in c.1895, the barn rests in a natural depression in pasture land. Adjacent are the remains of the York Farm; a deteriorated farmhouse and two sheds.

The York Round Barn is a wood frame structure with a brick foundation. It is roughly 56 feet in diameter. Exterior walls are covered in wood flush drop siding. Because of the natural slope, the foundation of the west half creates a full one story tall wall, but the east half of the building has only several feet of foundation exposed.

The north or primary elevation of the barn has central double leaf sliding doors. Flanking the doors, the north half of this face of the barn has two square window openings on either side. Originally, these windows were likely four-light, single sash units, but several have been boarded over or are missing. Between the two windows to the left of the sliding doors is a regular door which is partly boarded shut.

The east side has a sliding hay door. Left of the door is a window. The south elevation has sliding doors similar to the north side. The west elevation is more dramatic, since this side of the building nestles into the natural depression, exposing the brick foundation a full story. The foundation has a wide opening for sliding doors at this lower grade, as well as two window openings (minus sash) flanking the doorway. The wood sided walls of this face have a hay door centered over the lower sliding doorway, and two window openings.

Above the wood walls, which rise the equivalent of two stories (yet contain only one level) is the conical roof sheathed in old (possibly original) wood shingles. Centered on the apex of the roof is a circular cupola having seven louvered vents. The cupola has a wood belt course at the sill level of the vents and is clad in imbricated fish scale wood shingles. The cupola itself has a conical roof.

The interior of the York Round Barn has two levels; the lower story occupies only the west half of the barn, while the upper story is open for hay storage. Originally, the lower level had cattle pens partly defined by a half circle of wood posts which provide support for the upper level joists. A corn crib stands centered on the east wall. The upper level features two concentric circles of posts which support the conical roof structure. The outer ring of posts rise to support a circular roof purlin about halfway up the roof's slope. The inner circle of posts supports a similar ring at the base of the cupola. In addition, a large post at the very center rises part way to the cupola, then terminates; with diagonal braces reaching to the previously described intermediate purlin ring. Rafters radiate from the cupola to form the rest of the roof structure. The upper level creates a complex space of interweaving timbers, a typical feature of early round barns such as this.