James Bruce Round Barn: A Step Back in Time

The James Bruce Round Barn, located near Freeport in Stephenson County, Illinois, is a unique historical landmark. Built in 1914, it represents a fascinating chapter in agricultural architecture. The barn was constructed by Jeremiah Shaffer and the Haas Brothers, a team known for building numerous round barns in the region. This round barn distinguishes itself with a single hip roof, a design possibly influenced by agricultural experiment stations at the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin. This design choice reflects an adaptation to the challenges of constructing self-supporting roofs common in other round barns. The barn's diameter measures approximately 58 feet 8 inches, with wooden siding and a poured concrete foundation. A cupola sits atop the single hip roof, supported by internal rafter braces. The centrally located stave silo, with a 12-foot diameter, is accessible from the barn's northeast side. The James Bruce Round Barn is historically significant as the last known round barn built by Shaffer and the Haas Brothers. Its design illustrates the evolution of round barn construction, particularly the adaptation of the single hip roof. The barn was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Today, the James Bruce Round Barn offers visitors a chance to step back in time and appreciate the ingenuity of early 20th-century agricultural practices.