National Register of Historic Places

Big John Farm Limestone Bank Barn

Council Grove, Morris County, Kansas
Listed
October 24, 1990
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
90001576

About this property

The Big John Farm Limestone Bank Barn, located north of U.S. Route 56 and east of Big John Creek in Council Grove, Morris County, Kansas, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It is a bank barn, which is a barn built against a hillside and having entrances on two levels. Built during 1871-1872, the limestone barn measures 76 by 40 feet (23 m × 12 m). The stone walls are 2 feet (0.61 m) thick. The roof is of a double truss design of native oak. The property, at one time, was owned by Seth Hays and it is likely he paid for its construction. The farm was purchased by Morris County in 1877 for use as a poor farm, and it served as that until 1945. At the time of the National Register listing in 1990, study was underway about how the barn could be restored and reused in some way; a grant had been received to hire an architect or engineer to address structural problems. During 1992 to 2006, the barn's roof, windows, and drainpipes were replaced, and its walls were repaired. It is located behind (on the north side of) what the Morris County Fairgrounds is now. A sign on westbound Highway 56 indicates "OLD STONE BARN" at what is also an entrance to the Morris County Recycling Center and the Morris County Transfer Station. Big John Creek runs through the property.

Location

Council Grove, Morris County, Kansas
38.66861, -96.44835

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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

Furney Farm
Civil War
0.4 mi
Council Grove Missouri, Kansas and Texas Depot
Civil War
1.8 mi
Council Grove Historic District
Early Republic
1.8 mi
Madonna of the Trail
Listed
2.1 mi
US Post Office-Council Grove
Industrial
2.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Big John Farm Limestone Bank Barn listed on the National Register?

Big John Farm Limestone Bank Barn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 24, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Big John Farm Limestone Bank Barn?

Big John Farm Limestone Bank Barn is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Big John Farm Limestone Bank Barn?

The period of significance for Big John Farm Limestone Bank Barn is recorded as the industrial era.

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