"Twice Built" Round Barn An Amazing Volunteer Effort

Twice Built Round Barn An Amazing Volunteer Effort AG WORLD Ag World When Dick Schwab decided to build a barn to host community events he made it very special As a contractor who had already put up four round barns he wanted this barn to be the biggest and the best
We did the site work in 2005 recalls Schwab In 2006 we framed the 12-ft walls and I created a jig to make 24 57-ft long bell-shaped roof beams Each beam was made with 35 1 by 6 s
To mount the beams Schwab created a ætruss ring at the center Beams and ring were constructed in an open field next to the barn Once in place the beams could be lifted into position and when all were set the roof would be self-supporting
Like the beams the truss ring was laminated Schwab used 210 sheets of 4 by 8-ft OSB board cut in half Each of the 50 layers consisted of eight 4 by 4-ft sheets Each layer overlapped creating a 2-ft thick ring When completed it had a 75-ft circumference and weighed 12 000 lbs On top of the ring he built a cupola with 6 ft high walls and a roof with 2 by 10 s for joists
When I was ready to set the ring in place I built a 33-ft tower at the center of the barn floor recalls Schwab A crane lifted the ring and cupola into place and then raised up the beams
Once the beams were in place and secured to the walls and the truss ring Schwab dismantled the tower He then covered the roof beams with 2 by 8-ft rafters with a layer of plywood sheathing over that
Because the roof beams were bell-shaped we had to bend the plywood to fit recalls Schwab We put winter guard over the roof that fall and came back in 2007 to finish it with a 50-ft wide by 16-ft deep timber frame porch on the back side We used 36-ft long floor joists out of an old barn and covered the entire barn with 3/4 cedar shingles
After working on the barn 10 to 20 hours a week for nearly a year with an all-volunteer crew the barn was nearly finished Schwab began accepting reservations for weddings and other events
Then tragedy struck In July 2007 the barn was hit by lightning and burned to the ground
When Schwab called the couples with wedding reservations for that fall two said they would postpone until the following year if he would rebuild One couple even offered to help with construction
Schwab started his rebuild immediately with a few small changes like plans for a steel roof and a lightning rod When people heard I was going to rebuild they started to call about barns where we could salvage wood Others brought meals and treats for the building crew
This time the barn went up faster though it was also more elaborate Beams for the 100-ft dia 8 000-sq ft barn were 50 ft long with the cupola set 36 ft in the air
Round outside walls were laid stone On the inside they were covered by 16 11-ft 4 1/2-in high flat sections Exposed sections were composed of 24 by 24-in panels 6 wide and 5 tall made from cherry red oak white oak hickory and elm The interior ceiling is covered with 12 000 sq ft of 3/4-in thick home sawn cherry with pieces of maple mixed in to create a spiral that carries the eye to the cupola At one side is a massive 12-ft tall stone fireplace that rests on 9 tons of concrete It has room behind it for restrooms with a banistered loft area above On the other side of the barn are the kitchen and storerooms with a loft area above them as well An aluminum staircase stretches in a 180? semicircle from the loft to the cupola which has a railing for an observation area
The barn including the rebuilt back porch is ringed with a 20-ft deep circle of pavers around 50 000 in all They too were recycled with some coming from street projects in area towns salvaged brick from an Illinois factory and around 16 000 from the old Lincoln Highway U S 30 torn up when it was paved in 1947
Two sets of French doors made with local walnut look out on the brick patio and a terraced 500-seat stone amphitheatre Behind the stage is the largest mortarless stone arch in North America It is 40-ft in diameter with the keystone set 20 ft in the air The entire arch weighs more than 50 tons
Both barns were built largely with volunteer labor The second barn was completed the night before the first scheduled wedding in May 2009
During the last month we spend on average 14 to 16 hours a day here says Schwab who wanted to be sure everything was just right
The first couple to get married in the new barn had not only delayed their wedding a year and a half They had also done a considerable amount of the rebuilding
I figure they spent between 1 000 and 1 500 hours helping us rebuild says Schwab
Schwab has a special zoning permit that allows him to hold 12 events a year in the barn Several of the events are for local charities and he donates the use of the barn The limited number of events makes the already special barn even more special
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dick Schwab 2501 Sugar Bottom Rd N E Solon Iowa 52333 ph 319 624-8096; dschwab@avalon net

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