Snowfall at Kalona Area Barn

The last bit of December's snowfall was still evident on January 1st at this Kalona, Iowa area barn. The December 19-20th blizzard was this region's only snowfall this season - so far. Last week's January thaw melted most of the snow in eastern Iowa. Sounds nice but we need more precipitation. Bitter cold air is predicted for this area on Monday. How many days until Spring?

Round Roof - Barn Charm

Somewhere along E36, east of Clutier in central Iowa is this rounded roof barn. Currently this farm raises livestock in addition to corn. The barn is orientated east-west with the large roof facing south.

I am linking up with the weekly Barn Charm blog series. Click the icon below to discover photos of barns around the world.

Swisher Blacktop Barn Charm

The road between Swisher, Iowa and Amana is called the Swisher blacktop even though it is made of concrete. About halfway between those two towns is this modern vivid red barn. Four horses may be stabled there along with their food - on this day they sought shade beneath the trees. This week's 42N barn charm offering is more recent in construction, complete with metal walls and roofing but utilizes classic barn design elements.

Lincoln Highway Barn Charm

This property recently lost its farmhouse, which honestly needed to come down. However this barn is still in good shape and continues to be a useful structure in the annual crop production. This barn is located on the old Lincoln Highway halfway between Cedar Rapids and Mount Vernon, Iowa. As such the land may be sold off for residential properties one day as the cities grow toward each other. For now we can still admire the barn and land as they have existed for years.

K Street Barn Charm in Middle Amana

The Amana Colonies in eastern Iowa are home to many old time barns, stone buildings and churches. When the seven villages entered the 20th century the line between rural and town boundaries blended. This barn is located in Middle Amana not far (just a few blocks) from the former Amana Manufacturing plant which is now owned by Whirlpool.

I photographed the structure this past Sunday during a harsh mid-afternoon sun. Thanks to online photo editing the image comes alive with more visual character. As for the use of this barn back in the day - I'm going to rely on the barn experts to tell me. I think this is a horse barn because of the wide door but maybe it is something else. You tell me.

Op's Tractor Barn Museum

This barn, now a museum was closed the day that I went by near West Amana, Iowa. Looks like a great place for further photo opps. Know that.

Last Week of Winter Before the Spring Rains

A week ago when this photo was taken, Iowa just completed the warmest winter on record. Along the 42N latitude ground cover generally took on this overall color of yellowish brown. Lovely but hey, no snow. I don't have an "after" photo of this scene to share but rest assured that green has busted out. More warm temperatures and generous rains fueled the upper midwest's growth of early season green plants. Time to condition the mowers - it won't be but a few days, maybe a week before the spinning blades are cutting grass again. Wonderful. Know that.

Leap Year Prairie House With Modern Facilities

This simple house has no known connection to leap year except that I am posting it on February 29th. A small house by modern standards, this structure is now part of a barn museum complex located in South Amana, Iowa. Imagine living in this one or two room structure on the just ploughed prairie back in the day. Maybe that's why a modern outhouse can be seen in the background. Know that.

John's Barn: A Carpenter's Work

Long ago this barn was created by a relative of a 42N staffer. In the early 1900s a talented carpenter/farmer constructed the barn, out buildings, and house. By any definition, John Hynek (1886-1957) knew how to build things. His carpentry skills, still evident through the highly ornate detailing of the barn's roof, are reasons why this barn still exists despite the apparent lack of maintenance.

Barn and house construction occurred around 1912 to 1915. Sometime in the 1950s the property was sold and left the family. John and his wife moved a few miles away to run a small rural grocery store.

Today the property owner utilizes the buildings and grounds to store equipment wherever there is space - like some sort of a farm implement bone yard. And, unfortunately on August 2, 2008 the home was destroyed by an arsonist, but other buildings on the property survived, including John's barn.

I have seen a few barns like John's with the detailed cupola, scalloped over hang, and roof line gingerbread in the immediate area. John was known to build a few barns locally. I have also seen a preserved grain crib attributed to him about a mile from this site. A cruise through the countryside will show how unique this barn design appears to be - certainly one that is worthy for inclusion in Barn Charm. Know that.

Sunnyside Barn

So far the 2011-12 winter has produced zero snow fall at this location west of Norway, Iowa - the daily temperatures are too warm for snow. As this is being written the jet stream is probably maneuvering to bring some Pacific Canadian blast this way next week. That's okay because the 42N snow blower is ready.

This photo was snapped on Christmas Eve during a ride in the country to find interesting scenes. In addition to barns and windmills, the 42N photo staff clicked images of cattle - a subject that the youngest member now photographs professionally out West. Know that.

Roll Out the Wagon

In one of South Amana's town barns, next to the barn museum, sits this working wagon. Perhaps stereotypical of a journalist's recent essay. Know that.

Corn Crib and Barn

Near Ely, Iowa across from a public golf course is an old, but still active farm. On the property is a wooden barn and wire mesh corn crib. In the past, the cribs were used to dry and store corn. Modern versions of on property corn storage are generally large, round galvanized bins that sometimes have propane dryers attached. This particular farm didn't display any signs of livestock so the need to store grain on site may be moot. Know that.

East Amana Rustic Barn

Iowa's top destination location are the Amana Colonies. Formerly a collective of agricultural operations, today it is a series of small villages that hold on to the old look and charm, deliver great German food and local beer, produce famous furniture and wool items, and offer several antique stores. Here in East Amana is this old dairy or horse barn. The structure is quite large but is still in use. It is one of the few area barns that hasn't installed a new metal roof like so many have in the past 15 years. Come see it when you visit Main Amana for Oktoberfest in a few weeks (Sept. 30 - Oct. 2.) Bring your thirst too. Know that.

Elements of Disappearing Farm Structures

Visit any 42N area farm (just west of Fairfax, Iowa in this case) and you might see buildings or equipment in various stages of condition. Some may be well preserved while others are out of commission and even disappearing.

First off, the brick silo out building is somewhat rare in that many have already disappeared and are no longer being built. The white barn seen in the background sports a white metal roof. Many local farmers began replacing their barn's traditional shingles and wood exterior with easy to install and maintain metal in the 1990s. In many instances metal materials were placed over the existing wooden counterpart.

Lastly, notice the support for an old fashion windmill. Many windmills are missing parts and very few of them still turn, let alone actually pump water or provide electricity. There are exceptions to these disappearing structures but the trend is certainly to remove rather than replace.

When passing by these structures take a second or two to study the layout of the farm and consider how they functioned while new. Know that.

Barn of a Different Color

Around 42N country (and a quarter turn west or so past the prime meridian) it is fair to say that there are many, many farms where you may find barns in colors of red, white, yellow and gray. Generally the construction material on these local barns is made of cedar or pine siding boards. Oak is sometimes used for the main frame.

In the last two decades metal roofs have been installed on many existing barns covering the original wood shingles. Newer barn designs can include traditional construction material and non-traditional material like metal. Walters Buildings and U.S Buildings have some fine examples of each style.

This barn, located outside of Traer, Iowa (42.19N, 92.46W) was built in the 1940s according to an expert. Dan Reed of Fairfield, Iowa explained that the barn’s clean design and the way the roof is peaked is an example of the post World War II construction style that occurred in these here parts.

This particular barn (and another one closer to Traer) are unique in their siding material. It’s masonite – a fiberglass like man-made material that can be cut in large sections and nailed to the barn frame. The material is extremely weather resistant holding up well for 60 some years. Like the other nearby example near Traer both buildings were of the same color - masonite white gray.

Wood, one of the more traditional materials used in this barn is evident in the door and window frames. Sixty years of weather and paint layers has left the door hinge in a more typical setting of elemental exposure. Know that.