Round barn roof

Today I went to our local Historical Society to ask permission to see the inside of their round barn's roof. What a treat. The barn was built in 1924 by Bert Leedy of Richland Township and later moved to its present location. It is 60 feet in diameter with 8 foot concrete walls and 16 foot wooden sidewalls. The footer, walls and floor required a boxcar-load of cement and was poured by neighbors in three days. Lumber was bent to make circular beams, either by soaking the boards in a creek or using green lumber. The big beams were made of nine layers of one-inch boards nailed together. Scaffolding was erected inside the barn to install the roof because the principal of the arch holds the circular beams in the air as the builders construct the roof framework. Finally, a cedar shingle roof was applied. Upon completion, the structure turned out to be 55 feet tall from the ground to the cupola's top.

Unbeknownst to me before today's visit, the museum round barn has been filled with antique farm equipment and is absolutely gorgeous. I plan to revisit it often to photograph some of the more interesting equipment. The blip today is a shot of the ceiling on the inside. My plan is to visit, and document for you, the remaining round barns in our area.