National and State Registers of Historic Places
Beamer Barn
2931 CR 18
Oakley vicinity (Gove County)
Listed in National Register
2010-07-08
Architect: Beamer, Ross; Gallion, Ross
Category: animal facility; storage
Thematic Nomination: Historic Agriculture Related Resources of Kansas
With its rounded Gothic-arch roof, the Beamer Barn dominates this small farmstead that sits along Interstate 70 in the far northwest corner of Gove County. Arch-roof barns, which were designed to maximize hay storage, gained popularity in the late 1910s but are increasingly rare on the modern Kansas landscape. The first story of the Beamer Barn, which was constructed in 1924, features hard-fired ceramic blocks that rest upon a concrete foundation. The second story is wood framed, with horizontal weatherboards within the arched ends and a wood-shingle roof with a graceful Gothic arch. On the east-facing elevation there is a haymow at the roof peak and a large sliding hay door on the second story. Its rafters are constructed of bent round rafters that are four and five boards thick. Horizontal beams near the interior peak provide bracing, as do several spaced vertical beams. Today, the barn is vacant and no longer used as part of a working farm, however, it retains its historic interior features including the central aisle, stanchions, and upper story hayloft. It was nominated as part of the "Historic Agriculture-Related Resources of Kansas" multiple property listing for its association with local agricultural history and for its architecture.
