Historic round barns of the Eastern Townships
If you were looking around the Eastern townships at the beginning of the 20th century, you would have been amazed by the round barns that once dotted our beautiful landscape. In fact, it was rare that you didn’t come across one of these unique pieces of architecture along your way, especially in the southern part of the region.
This particular architectural style first emerged in Vermont in the early 1800s and was introduced by a group called the Shakers, a religious sect from New England. They viewed the circular form as a symbol of perfection and they held a strong belief that it also prevented the Devil from hiding in corners, where he goes to cause trouble.
The buildings caught the eye of farmer interested in the new scientific agriculture, including those from the Townships, influencing them to build their own round barns.
The round barn provided many advantages for farmers.. It made their feeding and cleaning routine a lot more efficient, as the animals could be diverted towards the center of the barn, and the three level structure provided more space for them to organize and store what need be. The circular shape also prevented the structure from damaging winds. With windows all around the barn, there wasn’t a lack of natural lighting throughout the day.
Some of the downfalls of round barns were that their round shape made it difficult, almost impossible, to add more space and other buildings on to the barn and they were more difficult to build. This, along with the mechanization and modernization of agriculture in the 20th century, is what eventually led to their disappearance from the landscape and the introduction of the rectangular barns we see today. The round barns disappeared from the scene just as quickly as they made their entrance.
The last round barn to be built in the Eastern Townships is located in Brome Lake and it was built around 1915-1916. This round barn remains standing to this day and it is located at 35, Scott Road. While it is currently not in use, it has been well preserved over the years.
Other round barns that have been preserved in the Townships can be found in Mansonville (Potton) and Barnstonwest.
The Mansonville round barn, located at 25, Joseph-blanchet Street, was built in 1910 for Robert J. Jersey by highly skilled carpenters. Since its construction, was owned by various dairy farmers and it was last used in the 1980s. In 2009, the round barn was designated as a historical site by the Municipality of Potton and it was not being used by the owner at the time. The municipality finally acquired the property in 2010. Renovations and restoration work have been taking place to bring the round barn back to its original state and to incorporate it as part of community revitalization efforts. It is the only round barn to survive out of the four that were once located in Potton.
In Barnston, you will have the pleasure of seeing one of the only round barns that has continued to operate and be owned by the same family for over a century. The Holmes family, who settled in the area in 1897, had a round barn built on their property in 1902 after their first barn was destroyed in a fire. William Henry Holmes had the chance to see the round barns in New England while he was there for work and decided he wanted one of his own. He called on Willis Cramer, who owned the sawmill in the village, to build his round barn. The barn has remained in the Holmes family ever since and William’s grandson, Stanley Holmes Sr., has gone out of his way to protect and restore this architectural masterpiece. It was designated as a historical monument in 2001 and restoration work took place to ensure that this round barn would stick around for years to come. Located at 2523, Holmes Road, it is definitely something to see.
There are other round barns remaining in the Eastern Townships located in Coaticook, Dunham, Mystic, and Saintbenoit-du-lac.
These pieces of our architectural heritage deserve to be preserved for all future generations to witness.