The Frank Senour Round Barn, also known as the Crandell Barn, is a round barn

Round barn

A round barn is a historic barn design that could be octagonal, polygonal, or circular in plan. Though round barns were not as popular as some other barn designs, their unique shape makes them noticeable. The years from 1880–1920 represent the height of round barn construction. Round barn...

 in the vicinity of Blackhawk

Blackhawk, Indiana

Blackhawk is an unincorporated town in Pierson Township, Vigo County, Indiana, USA. The nearest official town is Riley, Indiana. Blackhawk has one listing on the National Register of Historical Places in Vigo County, the Frank Senour Round Barn built in 1905....

, Vigo County

Vigo County, Indiana

Vigo County is a county located along the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana. Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Terre Haute....

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, about 13 miles south of Terre Haute

Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...

.

For its agricultural and architectural significance, the barn was placed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 1993 as part of a Round and Polygonal Barns of Indiana Multiple Listing.

History

The barn was built in 1905 by Frank Senour, who was impressed with the efficiency of similar barns in nearby Illinois. In 1922 a tornado damaged the barn's original cupola; the roof was patched but the cupola was not rebuilt.

Since 1972 the barn has been owned and maintained by the Crandell family.

Structure

The barn is a true circular barn with no angles in its circumference. It has red vertical siding and a conical roof with four small dormers. It was built in 1905 during a time when round barns were promoted as models of efficiency, since the circular shape has a greater volume-to-surface ratio than a square shaped barn. Farmers could also work in a continuous direction, saving time and labor.