BUILDING CALIFORNIA
AGRICULTURE
Golden state’s oldest barns demonstrate broad spectrum of history across state Compiled by Managing Editor Stevie Ipsen For the vast majority of Americans, agriculture and history are not the first topics that come to mind when thinking of California. But no matter what area of California you consider, the agricultural roots in our nation’s 31st state far precede it as a vacation destination, celebrity mecca or political powerhouse. Shown here are what are recognized by the National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP) as California’s oldest
agricultural barns. As with all history, detailed records have not been kept on each of these structures, but what is documented enforces the fact that as one of our countries largest states, the agricutural significance of California’s history extends to all of it’s borders. Though it very well may be likely that older barns have existed, these are the ones that still stand today and have been researched and accepted by NRHP.
OLD ADOBE BARN | LA GRANGE | CIRCA 1850 Old Adobe Barn, also known as Adobe Post Office, is a historic barn in La Grange. It is the oldest building in the town being built prior to 1850 by the first French settlers in the area. It was used as a post office. The barn is made of adobe bricks on the side walls, and of wooden planks on the southern facade. Constructed of adobe bricks, the barn is a representative example of a distinctive architectural technology practiced by the Spanish pre-1850 and by some of the first Californians. The slightly raised slate foundation is also typical of building practices of this period.
DE TURK ROUND BARN | SANTA ROSA | 1891 The De Turk Round Barn in Santa Rosa, was a round barn that was built in 1891 by Santa Rosa Winery owner De Turk. It was used for his champion trotter horses until his death in 1896. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It was significant as one of very few round or polygonal barns surviving in Northern California. Nestled in the charming historic West End neighborhood, the stunning DeTurk Round Barn is among California’s oldest truly round buildings. Isaac DeTurk, one of the county’s first winery owners, built the barn in 1891 as a horse stable for his prize-winning stallion. A renovation in 2011 has brought this historic building into the current century. The building serves as a popular wedding venue in the Santa Rosa area. 82 California Cattleman July • August 2022
