National Register of Historic Places

Otte, Dennis, Round Barn

Eleroy, Stephenson County, Illinois
Listed
February 23, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84001164

About this property

The Dennis Otte Round Barn is a round barn in the U.S. state of Illinois near the unincorporated Stephenson County community of Eleroy. The barn was built in 1930 by Herman Altenbern and has a diameter of 54 feet (16.5 m). The barn is representative of the last round barn design variations that evolved. The Otte Round Barn was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The Dennis Otte Round Barn was built in 1930 by Herman Altenbern for Carl Richards near the community of Eleroy in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. Richards' father had a round barn previously erected. The Dennis Otte Round Barn is 54 feet (16.5 m) in diameter and stands upon a poured concrete foundation. The barn's main entrance is found in its east quadrant, where it faces due east. The door opens into a central crib which bisects the building. Animal stalls are arranged on either side of the crib in a semi circular pattern, they are divided with hewn and sawed posts which support a concentric loft plate with a radius of about 27 feet (8.2 m). The single hip roof is supported by a 2 by 6 inch (5.1 by 15.2 cm) beam nailed to each rafter four feet (1.2 m) above, and four feet (1.2 m) below on the opposite side, the roof hip. This is similar to the nearby Gerald Harbach Round Barn. The wooden shingled roof is capped by a short, squat cupola. The loft plate, the flooring and the loft piers were all constructed from previously used materials. The Dennis Otte Round Barn is one of 31 round barns that were constructed in a four county area, the Stephenson County area, that includes Winnebago County, Stephenson County and Rock and Green Counties in Wisconsin. Twenty one of those barns, including the Otte Round Barn are within Stephenson County. While the design of the Otte Round Barn is consistent with the designs found during the second phase of Stephenson County, Illinois round barn construction it does have key differences which set it apart from other similar barns. Similarities are found in the single hip roof, the squat cupola and the special rafter bracing technique. The use of salvaged materials reflects the Depression era economy during which the Otte Round Barn was constructed. These characteristic reflect the last design variation found in Stephenson County round barns. The Otte Round Barn was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1984 as part of a Multiple Property Submission.

Location

Eleroy, Stephenson County, Illinois
42.33368, -89.73799

Categories

ARCHITECTUREAGRICULTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Harbach, Gerald, Round Barn
Industrial
0.4 mi
Lena Water Tower
Industrial
5.6 mi
Jensen, Chris, Round Barn
Industrial
6.4 mi
Stephenson County Courthouse
Industrial
6.4 mi
Soldiers' Monument
Listed
6.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Kellogg's Grove (Second)
1832Early Republic
3.4 mi
Kellogg's Grove First Fight
1832Early Republic
9.9 mi
Kellogg's Grove Second Fight
1832Early Republic
9.9 mi
Battle of Kellogg's Grove — Second Skirmish (June 25, 1832)
1832Early Republic
12.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Otte, Dennis, Round Barn listed on the National Register?

Otte, Dennis, Round Barn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Otte, Dennis, Round Barn?

Otte, Dennis, Round Barn is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Otte, Dennis, Round Barn?

The period of significance for Otte, Dennis, Round Barn is recorded as the industrial era.

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