St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-10-12
A ROUND BARN.
The Unique Architecture on Winfield
Hastings Farm.


The Unique Architecture on Winfield
Hastings Farm.
One of the most picturesque objects
that can be seen from the western part of
the town is the big round barn on the
farm of Winfield S. Hastings, one OF
Waterford's prosperous farmers. 1t was
not built to attract attention, yet since
it was com pleted about year ago over
1000 people have driven up to his farm to
more closely inspect the building. Mr..
Hastings has fine farm of about 400
acres lying on the high ridge of land
above the Passumpsic valley and south
of Harris hill. 1t is one OF the best dairy
farms in Waterford, and when MIR. Hast
ings decided to build new barn the prob
lem was to construct one that would be
most serviceable for housing live stock.
The problem was completely solved by
building round barn, not the first one
in this section, but for its special purpose
the best kind of a barn that could be
built. Mr.. Hastings told Lambert Pack
wanted and plans were drawn and the
barn built by Quimby & Galbraith of
East Barnet. Our readers, especially the
farmers, will be interested in detailed
description Of the structure
The barn is 80 feet in diameter and
rests on a substantial stone foundation
nine eet;:high and from four to five feet
thick. There are two large entrances to
the basement which has no posts, but
above the trusses are great 10 by 10
center like spokes in a wheel and all Civ
ing support to the superstructure.
Around the wall are nests for the flock of
100 hens and they contribute to the
farms weekly product 25 dozen eggs.
Eight octagonal stiles, all connected, en-
circle the silo in the center OF the room
and give comfortable and easily aces
sible homes to 40 pigs.
The silo occupies the center of the build
ing and performs the double. duty of
storing nearly 400 tons of ensilage and
supporting the rafters that radiate
from it on each floor. The silo is / 8 feet
in diameter, SO feet high, and has doors
at convenient places to load or unload
the ensilage.
Opening off the basement is small
meal room and above is room which
will contain the cream separator, nee
essary machine in modern dairy. The
first floor of the barn is utilized by the
cattle. They enter it by an inclined plan
from the basement which is plainly in
Dictated at the extreme right of the pict-
ure, while the men enter through the small
door in the lean-to at the left of the pict-
ure. Around the wall in the main floor
are the stalls for he cows, 81 in all, with
10 stanchions for the calves. Mr.. Hast
ings now has a fine looking herd OF SO
grade Jerseysin the best of health and the
weekly product in dairy butter averages
200 pounds. Around the outside wall Of
the silo are four chutes for the hay, and
four grain bins are conveniently arranged
around the room so that it is possible to
feed all the stock in Is minutes, some,
thing which never could be accomplished
so quickly in the old-fashioned long
barns. Sixteen II by II girders on this
floor, 81 feet long, radiate from the silo
and support the upper floor.
Entrance to the hayloft which is he
upper floor, is secured direct from the
ground as appears in the picture. This
room mas a capacity IOT L 20 IOnS Oh nay
and this past season Mr.. Hastings har
vested over 125 tons. The sloping roo
is supper ted by 16 by rafters that
are 40 feet lopg. The root is octagona
and gracefully slopod. An octagor
tower rises from the center of the silo
adding much to the completeness cf the
structure.
Light and ventilation are as necessary
to the health of live stock as individual:
and 16 windows on each floor give plenty
of light, while ventilators extend through
every part of the building to the caves
The contractors used 10000 feet o
timber in construction and about nc, 600
shingles were used on the roof and sides
The barn is painted the customary red
Mr.. Hastings built round barn be
cause he believed this unique kind of archi
lecture was best suited to the needs O
a dairy farmer. After nearly years ex
perience he is more than satisfied with BIZ
decision which is backed by the expires
sion of many of the visitors, some 0
whom come from other states especial,
to see it, who declare that they will gC
and do likewise and build round barr
on their premises.