Month: October 2024

Carl Ball picked a scenic view in Clayton County when he built this round barn having a gambrel-shaped roof with angled sections. Carl, along with his brother William, built it sometime before Carl died in 1919 at age 45. Descendants of the Balls are excited that the Burrs are interested in preserving this unusual round barn.

Owned by Jim and Raynelle Burr since 1982, it is located at 30648 Garber Road, Guttenberg. Originally it had wooden board and batten siding, but now steel board and batten siding. The look is the same but steel will prolong the life for many years. A steel roof will be installed in the near future. In recent years it was leaning so several cables were attached for stability.

In the basement level there were horse stalls on one side and stalls for the dairy cattle on the other side, with a manger below the loft opening to receive hay. No silo. Doors to the loft and exit doors on the basement level fit the design of the hillside where it was built. (2024 photo)

One of a kind: a 14-sided barn. New in 1910 and “new” again in 2024, it is the only 14-sided barn in existence in Iowa today. With board and batten siding, a metal roof and a tiny cupola, it overlooks a wooded area in Clayton County, with a clear view of the countryside as the barn’s name implies. Inside is a clay tile silo with an opening on the basement level.  The only thing left of the original barn is the fact that it had 14 sides. 

Originally, it was a dairy barn with 13 stanchions. Now it is a restored treasure of the dwindling number of round and multi-sided Iowa barns. After the wood dries for several years the owners plan to paint it. Stay tuned for a view of it in full color and the plans they have for using it. The address is 25515 Basswood Avenue, Volga. (2024 photo)