There are endless stories out there in Nebraska and an unbelievable number of amazing things you never knew existed. If you live near (or have visited) Red Cloud, you probably know about the Starke Barn…but for the rest of us, this delightfully quirky piece of Nebraska is one more fascinating story about our collective history.
Back in the late 19th and early 20th century, round barns became popular on dairy farms. The circular interior was supposed to be a labor-saving design.
The Starke Barn was built in 1902-1903 by the Conrad Starke family. The Starkes had previously run prosperous business ventures in the Milwaukee area before starting their dairy farm in Webster County. Having already been successful in their previous ventures, the family could afford to build this grand barn, the likes of which the world had never seen.
The round barn design fad was in full swing when the Starke barn was built, but the Starkes went all-out to construct the largest round barn in the world.
The barn is an impressive 130 feet in diameter and is comprised of three levels. The top level holds hay; the middle level was for machinery and grain storage. Livestock occupied the basement level.
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The central brick silo was used to store feed for the cattle. The structure is held together not with nails, but with tension. It’s a marvel of engineering that has stood the test of time. The round barn design was thought to be resistant to prairie winds and storms, and the Starke Barn seems to have proven that theory.
Although a barn in Wisconsin lays claim to the “largest round barn in the world” title, it was never used as a working barn. It was designed specifically as a show and sales barn.
The Starke Barn is, as far as we can tell, the largest round barn in the world to have ever been used on a working dairy farm. It was used to house cattle until the 1920s, when the herd contracted tuberculosis. The farm business was ruined and the property sold at auction.
The family who bought the barn back in the ’20s were related to the Starkes, and since then it has remained with their descendants.
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Today, the Starke Barn is available for tours and events. The barn retains many of its original fixtures and is an all-around (pun intended) fascinating look into Nebraska’s dairy farming history.
The unique barn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it’s a stop on the annual Trail of Treasures flea market. This truly is a one-of-a-kind barn; you’ll find other round barns in Nebraska and in surrounding states, but none is quite as large and impressive as the Starke Barn. Tours are offered seasonally – get more information on the barn’s official Facebook page.