Old Iowa barn

[IAbarnguy]

Here are some pictures of my family farm barn, located in Butler County, Iowa (NE Iowa, about 25 miles west of Waterloo). It is 115' x 30' x 30' with pegged post and beam, mortise and tenon framing. It has a 14' x 24' wooden silo inside it that was made by the Indiana Silo Co. We don't know when the barn was built but estimates are from around the late 1800's. 2004 through 2009 was spent preserving, then restoring it. We received an Award of Distinction from the Iowa Barn Foundation for restoring the barn with our own funds, electing not to apply for a grant. It is on the Iowa Barn Foundation Fall Barn Tour each year. Our present farm tenants don't rent the homestead so the barn now has an easy, retired life and is just used for light storage. When I have some more time, I'll do some organizing and post some before – during – and after pictures in the repairs and restoration section of this forum.

View from the north:



View from the SW:


Hay mow, from East wall.  Silo in the background:


Wooden silo inside barn.  14' x 24' manufactured by the Indiana Silo Co., view from inside hay mow:


South half of first floor, milking parlor, looking East:


From the highway:

[Dave]

Thanks for becoming a member and the posting of the barn. Amazing barn. How common was it to have a silo built inside of a barn? Was not aware of this before. Please, more photos and text. This is a great post.

[buiboy]

Always nice to see a barn saved. Looks to be well constructed. Thanks for sharing, I look forward to additional information and photos.

[IAbarnguy]

Thanks for the comments and for having this site.  Yes, it is pretty rare to find a silo inside a barn, especially a conventional barn. They are more common in old round barns with the silo being in the middle of the barn.  I've done some research on wooden silos, particularly the Indiana Silo Company, and have found at least one more wooden (Indiana) silo inside a barn in Larwill, IN.  There may be others, but wooden silos were not made for too many years, being replaced by more durable concrete and clay tile silos by around 1920.  Most were outside the barn and blew over or rotted out, so I feel the only reason ours has survived is that it has been inside.

The barn is pretty well built .... solid 8x8 posts and beams.  If the basic structure hadn't been sound we might not have saved it.

I will get some restoration pictures and info up sometime in the future.  

[fidler4]

Nice photos thanks for sharing.

[tarnished]

IB- Thanks for sharing! Wow! that milking parlor takes me back to about 1960. My G-parents had one just like it. Had the same concrete trough in front of the stanchion. My job was to put the feed in that trough. (mostly just got in the way... )Use to ride the cows while my Granny did the milking. Thought I was in heaven! Couldn't afford a horse! Lot a good times in that milk parlor.
You've done some amazing restoration on your place. Is the silo still in the barn? What a wonderful addition to historic old barn.
Look forward to hearing more from you.

[IAbarnguy]

Tarnished, thanks for the comments.  Yes, the silo is still in the barn.  It's leaning a little but is surrounded by the haw mow floor, beams, etc., so I don't think it's going anywhere.  Sounds like some fun times in your milking parlor!