(SBA) - If you are looking for a fun family-friendly activity this June, consider touring some of Iowa’s historic barns. The Iowa Barn Foundation is holding its annual Spring Barn Tour on Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23rd. The barns will be open for self-guided tours from 9:00-5:00 both days.
This year’s tour will be held in the Waterloo area with barns in southern Black Hawk and northern Tama Counties. There will be 11 historic barns open to tour inside and out, and the owner will be on hand to share the structure’s interesting story and answer questions.
Visitors will experience a diverse array of barns including a rare round barn and a barn with walls made from locally harvested fieldstones. Many are still in use, providing the opportunity to encounter bison, Suffolk sheep, Babydoll sheep, American Cream draft horses, American Paint horses, chickens, ponies, and farm cats. American Cream draft horses originated in central Iowa, and they are the only work horse breed developed in the United States.
The self-guided tour is free, made possible by the foundation’s member donors. A Saturday lunch will be offered for $15, and advanced reservations are recommended. Lunch will be served Saturday from 11:00-1:00 at the Frost Barn – 1745 E Eagle Rd, Waterloo. The catered lunch will include a pork loin sandwich, cheesy potatoes, baked beans, cookie, and drink (soda/water).
Lunch reservations can be made until June 1st online at iowabarnfoundation.org/product/2024-spring-lunch or by mailing a check made out to Iowa Barn Foundation to Wayne Frost, 1745 E Eagle Rd, Waterloo, 50701. A limited number of meals will be available on the day of the event for cash sales only.
Full tour details and a tour map can be found in the Iowa Barn Foundation Magazine (mailed to member donors) or online at iowabarnfoundation.org/barn-tours. For questions, please email iowabarnfoundation@gmail.com.
About the Iowa Barn Foundation
Founded in 1997, The Iowa Barn Foundation is dedicated to preserving Iowa’s rural agricultural buildings. The all-volunteer statewide organization is organized as a 501(c)(3) Iowa non-profit. The primary mission of the Iowa Barn Foundation is to educate the public about the significance and importance of Iowa’s barns through the Iowa Barn Foundation Magazine and our Barn Tours. It raises money to provide barn rehabilitation or restoration matching grants to help property owners restore their barns. In addition, property owners who use their own funds to restore or rehabilitate barns that would otherwise qualify for a matching grant, are eligible to receive an Iowa Barn Foundation Award of Distinction. For more information on the Iowa Barn Foundation, visit their website at https://iowabarnfoundation.org and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/IowaBarnFoundation.
Details on each of the featured barns are included below. Download high resolution JPG files HERE
Bank barn was built in the 1870s and measures 88'x40'x40'. The barn, which has been in the owner's family since 1946, was completely restored in 2018. An Amish construction crew toiled for seven weeks taking off the old wood, replacing damaged beams/supports, and putting on all new southern yellow pine siding shipped in from Oregon. With a couple of coats of red paint and the tuckpointing of the three-foot thick limestone walls, the barn looked like new. Original use was horses and milk cows. The barn now houses Suffolk sheep, which are fed from square hay bales stored in the haymow. (Award of Distinction)
Barn was built around 1910 and was utilized mainly for draft horses and hay storage. This barn replaced the original which was lost to fire, and it was of a similar design to the Frost Barn located just to the East. The barn’s livestock diminished in the 1950s as the farm turned mainly to row crop production. Steel siding was added in the 1970s as the wood siding was deteriorating, and a steel roof was added in the 1990s. With a growing interest in horses during the mid-2000’s, interior restoration began. In 2023 the limestone foundation was restored and additional exterior updates are planned for the future.
Originally built as a milk barn in 1900, by James P. Ellison (banker of Martelle) in Martelle, Iowa. In 2021 Ryan and Nicole Beardsley (with the help of family) tore down and moved the barn to Waterloo, IA. In its new location, the main floor will primarily host horses/livestock. The second floor will provide hay storage, while the third floor will serve as a family game/dance room.
J.E. Entz built this gambrel roof dairy barn over a 24-year period from 1920 to 1944. The barn is 100 feet long, 36 feet wide, and 36 feet tall. The foundation and walls are built from locally harvested fieldstones and concrete. The support beams and loft floor are made of concrete, reinforced with steel. There are no horizontal rafters required with the roof’s design, which maximized hay storage capacity in the loft. The barn was home to a dairy operation until 1980.
This gambrel roof barn was built in 1928 under the supervision of W.W. Klingaman. The barn was originally used for dairy cattle, then later transitioned to house beef cattle, sheep, and hogs. It is now home to a herd of American Cream draft horses. The farm gets numerous visitors as it sits across from Waterloo’s Prairie Grove Park.
This beautifully maintained 1930s gambrel-roof barn is 34 ft wide long 48 ft long with a hog building addition that is 20 ft wide and 52 ft long. The barn has been in the family since 1961, and it was used for dairy through 1980. It was then converted to swine and beef before housing bucket calves until 2009. Steel roofing was added in the late 1990s. The distinctive orange paint makes the barn an easy to spot landmark along Hudson Rd.
This 1948 gambrel barn is currently home to a flock of Babydoll Southdown sheep, chickens, and cats. Since purchasing the property in 2000, the owners have taken significant steps to bring the barn back to its original glory. Preservation steps included replacing the roof, replacing the hay loft floor, repairing damaged siding, straightening with a cable, and a fresh coat of red paint. Over the years, the barn has been home to 4-H and FFA project animals including swine, cattle, and sheep. The barn is now a place for grandchildren to explore, keep their animals, and learn about life on the farm.
Barn was built in 1940 and was originally used for dairy cows and horses. It was later converted to swine farrowing and early weaning. The Gothic-arched roof is supported by laminated rafters made from eight 1x3 boards bent to shape and secured with bolts. This self-supporting roof design maximized hay storage space by removing the need for interior support columns. While not confirmed, the construction characteristics are consistent with Sears kit barns of the era.
This 1930s era barn features a Gothic-arched roof and laminated rafters provided clear span hay storage space in the haymow. The barn was originally used for dairy, but it has been the home of a bison herd for the past 8 years. The herd bull is very protective, so visitors should stay a safe distance from the fence. The barn is also home to chickens and cats.
This gable-front bank barn was built in the late 1800s is a great example of a modern preservation to ensure the barn will have utility for years to come. The original siding has been covered with a new layer of stained solid cedar siding. The interior of the upper level has been insulated and covered with boxcar siding, which makes it a great space for family events. The lower level reveals the historic origins of this dairy barn. The lower level features a limestone foundation, hand-hewn posts/beams, and log floor joists.
Owner’s great-grandfather, Charles Hayward, purchased the farm in 1881. The barn was built in 1916 and is 66 feet in diameter. It may have been constructed by Johnston Brothers Clay Works, Ft. Dodge because of size of clay bricks used. Visitor Note: The owner may not be present for both days. During tour hours, visitors are welcome to tour inside the barn and corn crib on their own.
