Preserving Iowa’s barns is a worthwhile endeavor! In addition to receiving tax credits, owners who have restored their barn at their own expense may apply for an Award of Distinction, and owners interested in restoring their barns may apply for a matching grant from the Iowa Barn Foundation.

Awards of Distinction

The Iowa Barn Foundation gives Awards of Distinction to those property owners who restore or rehabilitate their barns at their own expense. Awards of Distinction are given to property owners who take great pride in their barns and by their efforts, enrich Iowa. Eligible barns must be restored as closely as possible to original condition. A plaque is presented to owners of these barns to affix to their buildings. Awards are presented to those property owners whose barns meet these guidelines:

Eligibility: Structures which meet all of the requirements of, and would be eligible for a grant of funds from the Iowa Barn Foundation, shall be eligible for the Iowa Barn Foundation Award of Distinction.
Nominations: The owner or owners of record of a structure eligible under the Eligibility guideline hereof may nominate the structure for the Award of Distinction on forms provided by the Iowa Barn Foundation.
Approval: Upon approval of a structure for the Award of Distinction by the Board of Directors of the Iowa Barn Foundation, a plaque signifying such recognition shall be presented to the owner or owners and shall be affixed to the structure in a prominent location.
Future Commitment: The owner or owners of a structure which has received the Award of Distinction agree to maintain the structure in the condition existing on the date of receipt of the award. The owner or owners of a structure receiving the award may voluntarily sign and record the standard easement of the Iowa Barn Foundation committing the structure to uses compatible with agricultural use and the owner or owners to maintaining the property. If an easement is not signed and recorded, the Iowa Barn Foundation reserves ownership of the plaque signifying the Award of Distinction and may remove the plaque if the structure suffers significant deterioration in condition.

For more information about the Award of Distinction, contact Sherry Gribble. To receive a nomination form, please send a $5 check (non-members of the Iowa Barn Foundation, please send $30, which includes the $25 membership fee) to:

The Iowa Barn Foundation
c/o Sherry Gribble
3109 155th Street
Fort Atkinson, Iowa, 52114
(866) 575 8483

Matching Grants

The Iowa Barn Foundation has awarded more than 45 matching grants, with a total of over $400,000, to property owners to help them preserve their barns. There are two kinds of matching grants:

Grant form “A”: For those barns that, upon completion of work, will be eligible for the National Historic Register. These barns may need restoration--more work than those in category “B”.
Grant form “B”: For those barns that may not be as historic as those in category "A," but the barns must be important to the landscape and the community. Many will be eligible for the National Historic Register upon completion of work. Most of these barns will receive rehabilitation grants--smaller grants for sealing foundations, new roofs, siding, etc.

Barns that qualify for either type of matching grant must meet the following eligibility requirements:

The barn must be at least 50 years old.
The barn must be located on its original site.
The barn should have some architectural significance or significance to the community. For example:
- Is it a landmark?
- Is it large (over 40’ wide and 60’ long)?
- Is it architecturally unique (e.g., square, round, U-shaped, made of stone, etc.)?
- Was it built before 1870?
- Was it built or owned by someone important in Iowa’s agricultural history?
- Was a new breed of livestock introduced there?
- Was the barn built using blueprints (e.g., Louden Machinery Co., Gordon-Van Tine, etc.) that you still have?
The siding must be wooden. Metal siding is acceptable if it is at least 50 years old.

The Iowa Barn Foundation’s Board of Directors prefers that barn roofs be replaced with a composition material or with wooden shingles in keeping with the barn’s original look. The Iowa Barn Foundation will pay its share of composition roofing but will not pay the entire cost of wooden shingles. If wooden shingles are used, the owner must pay the difference between composition material and wooden shingles. In special cases, the Board of Directors will support the use of metal roofing although this is not in keeping with the barn’s original look.

You can return your completed matching grant application at any time for consideration by the Iowa Barn Foundation’s Board of Directors. The Board of Directors meets several times a year to review the submitted matching grant applications. Matching grant applications that do not arrive in time to be reviewed at one board meeting will be reviewed at the next.

After a matching grant is awarded, an architect makes a site visit to discuss the project with the owner. The property owner has one year to start the restoration/rehabilitation project and two years to complete it. The barn must be restored as closely as possible to its original condition, for example, no metal siding or metal windows. Anyone receiving a matching grant must be able to provide matching funds. In addition, property owners must sign a perpetual easement that is recorded at their county courthouse. The barn must be maintained through the years, and it cannot be torn down.

Finally, in order to receive a check, the barn’s outside must be totally restored. In other words, the project must be completed—windows repaired, foundation leveled, doors replaced, cupolas straightened, paint. All of these projects should be considered when applying for a matching grant and wrapped into the total cost. Depending on the availability of funds, the Iowa Barn Foundation may not necessarily match the amount specified on the matching grant application.

For questions about matching grants, contact Sherry Gribble. To receive a grant form, please send a $5 check (non-members of the Iowa Barn Foundation, please send $30, which includes the $25 membership fee) to:

The Iowa Barn Foundation
c/o Sherry Gribble
3109 155th Street
Fort Atkinson, Iowa, 52114
(866) 575 8483

Please include the following items with your completed grant application. None of these items will be returned to you:

Completed matching grant application form
“Before” photos of the barn with your name on the back
At least three separate estimates for the repairs
Signed easement form
Anything else mentioned on the matching grant application form

Send completed grant forms to:

The Iowa Barn Foundation
c/o Elizabeth McDorman
604 Agg
Ames, Iowa 50014
(515) 292-9262

Thank you again for your interest in saving your barn and for your interest in the Iowa Barn Foundation.