Gamel Hexadecagon Barn, North Collins New York
The Gamel hexadecagon barn, built c. 1900, is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a central plan barn with a center silo built on a flat site without the use of an entrance ramp. Unlike other barns which utilized sloping sites and ramped wagon drives to bring wagons directly into the barns for loading, the Gamel barn relied on a system of hay forks and tracks to bring hay and silage into the barn through a hoistway and augmenting hay loft doors. In this respect, the barn is similar to a number of midwestern barns designed to accommodate flat sites. Architecturally, the Gamel barn is distinguished by its triple-tiered roofline and its board and batten exterior, which has the effect of making the barn appear to be round. The barn retains excellent integrity and continues to function as a working dairy barn.
The Gamel barn is located nine miles from the eastern shore of Lake Erie and approximately two miles south of the farming community of North Collins. It is situated on an elevated site just east of the glacial plain surrounding Lake Erie. The barn is located approximately 250 feet north of Shirley Road to the rear of a modern ranch-style house. A modest farm complex occurs just north of the barn and includes the Gamel house and five small barns and sheds. The original Swiss chalet style farmhouse associated with the barn is no longer extant.
The Gamel barn is sixteen-sided in plan with a diameter of approximately 80 feet. The board and batten exterior walls are two stories in height and are surmounted by an unusual triple-hipped gambrel roof. Small square-shaped windows are evenly distributed around the ground floor, together with a large double door for cattle at the southeast side. A small, one-story addition with gable roof is located at the north side and appears to be an early milkhouse. The second story includes double doors for access to the hay loft, but no windows. A large dormer with double doors and a projecting hoistway is located at the south side of the barn. The interior of the barn is built of light frame construction with a round silo at the center. Cattle are stanchioned concentrically at the ground floor. The mow extends above the loft floor to the top of the roof. Storage is augmented by straight and circular hay fork tracks hung from the roof.