Round barn boom peaked in early 1900s

The Rouch barn is believed to be the last round barn standing in St. Joseph County.

Round barns became popular in Indiana in the early 20th century. In a quest for more scientifically managed farms, some agricultural experts deemed round barns more efficient and less costly to build and maintain. The fad for round barns faded in the 1920s.

The height of the Hoosier round barn building boom was 1910, the year the Rouch barn was built, according to the Fulton County Historical Society Museum, which has a collection about the history of round barns.

The museum has a round barn on its property that was badly damaged in a storm last fall. The circa 1924 barn is being repaired.

Indiana has long been considered the “round barn capital” of the nation, with more of the structures than any other state, according to Fulton County historian Shirley Willard. In the late 1980s, more than 225 Hoosier round barns were still standing. Now the number is closer to 90 to 100, she said.