Barns in Van Buren County IA -Iowa Barn Foundation

Barns in Van Buren County, Iowa

Barns on this page - Finney Barn, Clark Barn, Parsons Barn, Galloway Barn, Klodt Cattle Barn, Zane Barn.

All of the barns, except the Klodt barn, are (or were) bank barns - the Finney barn was a bank barn before 2016.

Finney Barn, 17248 Hwy 1, north of Keosauqua, IA

The owner of this barn, John Finney, wrote the following history of this barn.

The Finney barn is located in Van Buren Township. Van Buren County, Iowa, on the east side of Highway 1, north of Mt. Zion. It is believed to have been built sometime between 1898 and 1904 by owners Charles S. & Bessie L. (Barker) Bogle. Although the builder of the barn is unknown, there is evidence in the barn that the lumber came from the Streeter Lumber Company, which operated in Keosauqua and Douds about that time period.

The following information was noted in An Architectural & Historical Survey of the Bank Barns in Van Buren County, Iowa, conducted in 1996...
"This barn is somewhat larger than the others noted, being 38' x 48'. It features the wagon doors on the west elevation, reached by an earthen and wood ramp, with the lower doors opening to the east. These English barns were basically a variation on the three bay threshing barn, but built into a slope with lower level for livestock. An interesting feature of this barn is the use of windows on all elevations, with two windows in each gable end as well. This use of windows is unusual in the barns surveyed. The construction is similar to many others in the survey, combining log, hewn, and milled lumber, with wooden pegs used in some places. The beams, both hewn and milled, measure 8" x 8". Construction of bank barns allowed for hay and grain storage on the upper level while sheltering livestock below. This was economical because there were two levels under one roof."

Faced with imminent collapse due to a deteriorating foundation, substructure support, and floor, and limited use of 21st Century needs, the barn was moved on a new foundation by Enos Mullett of rural Milton in 2016. Plans are to restore the old foundation as a way to bridge its former location and use with the new. With proper care, the barn is now poised to be a useful structure for another 125 years.

Finney Barn before it was moved (this is the west side). Note that the ground slopes down - the basement opens out to the east. (2013).

Wagons could pull into the west door to unload. (2013).

Finney Barn in Oct 15, 2017 (open during the 2017 Villages of Van Buren Scenic Drive Festival) after the top of the barn was pulled off the basement section. See the basement section behind the barn.

It was painted red after it was moved.

West side (front).

Photos show how the top part of the barn was slid westward, onto to a concrete slab floor.

Owner greeting visitors during 2017 Van Buren County's Fall Festival in October.

East wall.

South end.

North end of barn; old basement part is behind the barn.

Looking east at the old barn basement.

Looking north.

Looking east.

Looking northwest.

East end of old basement section.

Looking west.

Looking southwest.

Clark Barn, 27882 107th Street, north of Stockport, IA.

Clark Barn, west side (2013)

Clark Barn (2013)

Clark Barn, south side, open during the 2017 Villages of Van Buren Scenic Drive Festival, Oct 15, 2017.

Clark Barn (Oct 15, 2017)

Clark Barn, upper section (Oct 15, 2017)

Clark Barn, roof structure (Oct 15, 2017)

Clark Barn, stairs to lower section (Oct 15, 2017)

Clark Barn, lower section (Oct 15, 2017)

Clark Barn, Louden Stanchion - See details on the Louden Company website.

Parsons Barn, 22055 Hwy 1, Keosauqua, IA

Located just south of the center of Keosauqua, near top of the hill, west side of Hwy 1.

Parsons Barn. Photos taken July 2013.

Parsons Barn.

See more photos of the Parson on the 2017 All-State Tour page.

Another photo is on Wilford Yoder's photo page (scroll down to see it).

Galloway Barn, 16677 Hwy 1, north of Keosauqua, IA

Galloway Barn. Photos taken July 2013.

Galloway Barn.

More information is on the Louden Tour website, where you will also find a link to this barn listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as the "Midway Stock Farm Barn".

Klodt Cattle Barn, 21483 Acorn Ave, Milton, IA

The owner of this barn, Brad Klodt, wrote the following history of this barn.

The barn originally was built in 1895 in Germanville, a small area north east of Fairfield, Iowa. Most of the white oak frame-work beams are sawn but some have been hand hewn, and originated from 1895. The original dimensions of the barn remained per 1895 specs. The barn was built mainly for loose hay storage and to house a few animals.

It was given to me in the winter of 2000 and dismantled in the winter of 2001 by a local Amish contractor and his crew whom are also neighbors. Each beam was tagged and corresponding blueprints made. On December 31, 2001, I received a phone call stating the crew planned on starting on the barn the next day. Reassembly started on January 1st and finished by the end of the month. What an amazing process!

Since the bottoms of the upright posts were cut off because they had rotted from manure and such, the height of the barn would not be the same as the original. So to compensate for this, short concrete piers were molded into the new concrete floor prepared for this barn, in addition to the sill around the perimeter. You can see these in a few of the photos.

The sheathing boards on the roof were no longer safe, so they were replaced with modern boards. A metal roof replaces the original shakes. The cupolas were assembled on the ground, but had to be taken apart in order to get them up to the roof using ropes and block and tackle, all by hand.

Most of our English neighbors thought we were nuts for putting this much effort into an old barn.

As the last day of assembling the frame came to a close, it was found that all of the original pins that held the barn together had been used and there were not enough to finish. The original pins had been driven out with a 3/4inch shaft and several had shattered in the process. The next morning one of the fellows came to work carrying a five gallon bucket of new pins. As his father had built and repaired buggies for years, he had an ample supply of old wooden buggy wheels laying around so he made pins out of the old spokes!

We had a portable sawmill come to the farm and we cut lumber for the hay mow floor, gates, and interior walls. All of the original siding had been removed before I obtained it, so new rough-cut pine siding was used. Parts of the barn that would deteriorate due to use or the elements, were replaced. Others, re-used.

The barn was moved and preserved using all original material that could be used. We were able to reuse the Loudon hay track and trolley.

The barn is open for special events and barn tours sponsored by The Villages of Van Buren. The people always love it when I point out the buggy spokes! And it is due for a new coat of paint. - Brad Klodt.

Klodt Cattle Barn. Photos taken Oct 11, 2014, during the Villages of Van Buren Scenic Drive Festival.

Klodt Cattle Barn.

Cupola. Klodt Cattle Barn.

Pressing apples to make apple juice. Klodt Cattle Barn.

Klodt Cattle Barn.

Model of the Wickfield Sales Pavilion, in Cantril, Iowa. The real barn is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Photos taken 10-11-14 during the Villages of Van Buren Scenic Drive Festival by Jeff Fitz-Randolph.

Another photo is on Wilford Yoder's photo page (then scroll down to find it).

The Zane Barn is located in Bonaparte, Van Buren County.

A photo is on Wilford Yoder's photo page (then scroll down to find it)

Photos by Jeffrey Fitz-Randolph, July 10, 2013, Oct 11, 2014 (Klodt Barn), and Oct 15, 2017