Robert Orr Polygonal Barn - Oxenrider Barn, Washington Indiana

Date added: April 21, 2023 Categories: Indiana Barn Round Barn
View from the south (1991)

The Robert Orr (Oxenrider) Polygonal Barn is located in rural Kosciusko County, Indiana, in Washington Township. The Orr Polygonal Barn is an example of how local builders adopted the central-plan barn idea to suit their own needs. By 1936, round and polygonal barns were considered obsolete and the last round barn was built in the state to replace a 1915 round barn that had burned (Grant County, Richland Township, extant).

The original owner of the barn was Robert Orr who enlisted the services of a local carpenter and neighbor Horace Makemson. Mrs. Oxenrider, current co-owner, recalls that Horaces' son, Bruce, also helped in the construction (Bruce was 16 at the time). Orr and Makemson set out to build the twelve-sided structure with vertical wood siding of Sugar Maple, a twelve-sided cupola atop the three-pitch gambrel roof and a central corn crib on the lower level. The lower level housed farm animals that were fed around the central twelve-sided corn crib in a large feed alley. The upper level was devoted to the storage of hay and straw, an operation that was made more pleasant with the ventilation and light from the cupola windows and more efficient with the hay track mounted to the roof timbers. Both the cupola and hay track mechanism remain today as reminders of past farming practices.

The ownership of the farm and barn has always remained in the Orr family. The homestead was comprised of the barn in addition to the nice frame farmhouse, garage and rectangular barn to the south. The farm then passed to one of Orr's sons after his death and eventually to his granddaughter and her husband, Mr. & Mrs. Willard Oxenrider. Although the farmstead is abandoned today, the barn is still maintained by the Oxenriders who live in a modern house some 200 yards north of the barn.

In Indiana, there were eighteen twelve-sided barns constructed, making it the third most prominent style of the 219 round and polygonal structures built in Indiana (behind true circles [151] and octagons [33]). The barns were built in Allen County (Adams Township, razed), Clinton County (Michigan Township, extant), Huntington County (Huntington Township, extant), Huntington County (Lancaster Township, extant), Huntington County (Polk Township, razed), the Orr (Oxenrider) barn, LaGrange County (Newbury Township, extant), Marshall County (three in Greene Township, with two being extant and one razed), Miami County (Washington Township, razed), Parke County (Raccoon Township and Greene Township, both razed), Ripley County (Jackson Township, extant), Shelby County (Noble Township, extant), Tippecanoe County (Randolph Township, extant), Wabash County (Lagro Township, razed) and White County (Princeton Township, razed). Of these, only two were constructed before the issuance of the 1905 patent (Clinton and Wabash County examples), thus showing that the vast majority of the twelve-sided structures were most probably built to skirt the patent rights of McNamee, Duncan and Littleton.

Barn Description

In rural Kosciusko County near Pierceton, Indiana, stands the Robert Orr Polygonal Barn. Built from 1909 to 1911 by local carpenter Homer Makemson and Mr. Orr, this unusual structure sits on an old farmstead composed of a house, garage and rectangular barn, the entire compound surrounded by mature trees, rolling hills, open pastures and cultivated fields.

This twelve-sided, two storied barn is capped by a sectional three-pitch gambrel roof and is crowned by a twelve-sided cupola with a sectional cone roof. The cupola contains five six-light windows that provide a great deal of light and ventilation to the upper reaches of the barn. Finally, the balloon framing of the wall system rests securely on the poured concrete foundation.

The roof surfaces of the main barn and cupola are covered in asphalt replacement shingles, a change that minimally affects the historic integrity of the structure. There is a slight overhang to the eaves which exhibit the exposed rafters of the roofing system and the roof decking. The wall surfaces are sheathed in the original vertical wood siding which remains in good condition.

The upper level contains one grade level opening, that of the main doors which are located on the south or main elevation. These main doors, constructed of wood and mounted on overhead tracks that allow the doors to slide inside the barn, are decoratively treated. Frame lumber was used to divide the door surfaces into three regions: one, a tall top section with two boards flaring out at the bottom; two, a short middle section with two boards that meet those in the middle and again flare out. Centered above these main doors is a four light window. The only other upper level opening is a small sliding hay door on the north side that is suspended in the air as a hay loft opening.

The lower level openings can best be described by beginning on the lower level on the west side of the ramp and proceeding around the barn in a clockwise manner. In the first side, there is a four light window, side two contain a four light window and a human-sized door, three contains a wide sliding door and sides four, five, six and seven contain pairs of four light windows. Side eight contains a set of outward swinging doors while side nine contains a pair of four light windows. Side ten houses a four light window and a human-sized door, side eleven has a six light window and finally, side twelve is located behind and under the ramp and has no openings.

The interior of the barn is very open and well engineered. On the lower level, there is a central twelve-sided corn crib that is made up of posts at each of the wall intersections and 2" x 6" pieces of lumber. Approximately five feet around this central corn crib is a feed alley that is delineated by large square posts. These posts are functional in terms of creating the feed alley and are structural in their support of the laminated beam overhead that intermediately supports the upper level's floor joists. Interestingly, the floor joists inside the laminated beam run straight in a north/south direction while those outside of the laminated beam (between the beam and the exterior walls) run radially inward from the walls to the beam. Finally, there is a staircase to the upper level that is located on the southwest wall next to the six light window. The rest of the area on the lower level has been left open for the handling and housing of animals (the original use) or for today's use (storage).

The upper level of the barn is one large, open space with the source of light radiating from the cupola above. The roof system is a marvel with each of the twelve roof sections separated from its neighbor by large laminated beams. Within each section are additional laminated beams that provide intermediate support at the changes in roof pitch. Further, the support lent by the outside walls in addition to the cupola framing makes for a strong and durable unit. The cupola framing is composed of a series of interlocking timbers that span the base of the cupola, creating a web of wood at the cupola's juncture to the roof. Finaly, an overhead hay track is still present to facilitate the easy handling of hay and straw, the original use of the upper level.

Robert Orr Polygonal Barn - Oxenrider Barn, Washington Indiana View from the south (1991)
View from the south (1991)

Robert Orr Polygonal Barn - Oxenrider Barn, Washington Indiana View from the northwest (1991)
View from the northwest (1991)

Robert Orr Polygonal Barn - Oxenrider Barn, Washington Indiana View from the southwest (1991)
View from the southwest (1991)

Robert Orr Polygonal Barn - Oxenrider Barn, Washington Indiana View from the west (1991)
View from the west (1991)

Robert Orr Polygonal Barn - Oxenrider Barn, Washington Indiana View from the west (1991)
View from the west (1991)

Robert Orr Polygonal Barn - Oxenrider Barn, Washington Indiana View from the south (1991)
View from the south (1991)

Robert Orr Polygonal Barn - Oxenrider Barn, Washington Indiana View from the southeast looking up (1991)
View from the southeast looking up (1991)