The Quad-City Times - News, Sports and more from the Quad Cities region or Iowa and Illinois

You are not logged in.
Login

Log in to qctimes.com
Email:
Password:
Remember my information.
Register
Quadsville
Site Help

All State Barn tour to feature local barns

Font Size:

By The Quad-City Times | Friday, August 15, 2008 |

Restored historic barns — including some in Scott, Muscatine and Jackson counties — will be featured in All State Barn tour 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20-21. Most tour barns were restored with matching grants from Iowa Barn Foundation. The free tours are self-guided, but at many stops, owners will be on hand to share barns’ histories.

In Scott County, Schneckloth crib, 23553 200th Ave., Eldridge, and Zelle barn, 1503 Holland St., LeClaire, will be open. The Schneckloth family emigrated from Germany in 1854 and built the landmark round crib in 1926 with hand tools. Zelle barn is located on a 19th century family farm.

Louisa County’s Cutkomp barn, 22682 120th St., Columbus Junction, was built in 1911 with native lumber and put together with wooden pegs.

Jackson County has a number of featured barns. Delaney barn, 23477 Bellevue-Cascade Road, La Motte, is a large wooden peg constructed barn built around 1900. A smaller barn on the farm was built in 1940. Clasen barn, 25219 200th St., Bellevue, is wider than usual and has bark on support timbers. In addition, the barn’s top hip is longer than the lower hip, an unusual feature.

Stromeyer barn, 37647 Iron Bridge Road, Spragueville, has hay hoods on both ends and was built in 1902 from native cottonwood trees that were floated down the Maquoketa River. Defries barn, 17929 232nd Ave., Maquoketa, built in 1885 by A.B. DeFries, has post and beam pegged construction.

Gehlen barn, Main Street, St. Donatus, a three-story limestone barn and one of the oldest barns in Iowa, sits in the middle of the village. Michels barn, 39016 308th St., Bellevue, a pegged barn built in 1926, has been in the same family for three generations, has wainscot siding which became unaffordable during Depression years and World War II era. Glass balls in the lightning rods are another rarity.

All State Barn Tour encourages barn preservation and teaches about Iowa’s agricultural heritage. Iowa Barn Foundation raises money to restore barns, sponsors tours and publishes semi-annual Iowa Barn Foundation magazine. Contact Roxanne Mehlisch at (641) 487-7690 or mehlisch@netins.net for information. For directions to the farms or barn photos, go to iowabarnfoundation.org.

— Times staff report