OLD RED ROUND BARN ALONG AN OREGON RURAL ROAD

Partial view on the east side of the round barn

Along Route 36 near the settlements of Triangle Lake and Blachly, Oregon is a huge red round barn. Its construction is wood with a metal conical roof, a cupola with ventilator and lots of windows for interior light. Roof needs serious work. I would guess it was once used for cattle or horses? Now it appears to be sitting empty waiting for its next adventure. Some small buildings have been attached to the barn. Passing the barn on the roadway one is likely to slow down taking in the magnificence of its size and wondering about its grandeur when it was younger.

This old red round barn sits on a country corner of farm land. I know nothing about who owns it or when it was built. If I were to guess a date I would say it was built in the late 1800s or early 1900s. 

The photos you see above and below were taken on two different days. The one above was the first one I took and the two below were taken a few weeks afterwards. The light was exceptional for my first one and the last two suffered a bit from weird natural light. I used the same camera so it wasn't the camera that captured them differently rather it was me the photographer. 

South view of the round barn

Above is an old wooden sign leaning against some of the fence posts south of the barn. The sign's significance is unknown. Visually its artistry captures the rural presence of the place.

Since taking the barn photos I have since found out there are still many old round barns remaining in Oregon.  Click here to view Dale Travis' list on Oregon Round Barns -- once you reach the page list, click on a highlighted number to view a photo

Do you have a round barn in your area?

ADDENDUM I:
A comment on this post from Darcy made me go searching for more info on this barn. Found this old photo from the 1900s within the Oregon State Archives OAG445.  Titled -- Octagonal milk house near Triangle Lake in Lane County Oregon. 

So according to this bit of history it was a dairy barn and octagonal although it looked round from the street where I was taking photos.

ADDENDUM II;
RE:  Wooden Sign photo in this post (above)
Commentator Darcy (see above) sent a Eugene Register newspaper article dated 1993 that describes a pheasant business that began on the 350 acre round/octagonal barn land in 1991. The pheasants were raised in the barn and released for hunting in the field surrounding the barn. Some pheasants were kept to sell to non-hunters. The article states that the owner, Chris Mooney, kept a steady supply of 1,200 barn raised pheasants.  Chris Mooney felt the barn was built in the early 1940s.

OLD GENERAL STORE AND POST OFFICE -- BLACHLY, OREGON

Deep in the Oregon Coastal range is a small cluster containing two buildings that represents the town of Blachly. Unincorporated, it serves the folks that seem to live out of sight in the mountains. Population of Blachly is 542 folks with six people per square mile. 

Hanging from the post office overhang is an original 

old tin sign identifying the Blachly post office. The post office was established in 1892.

And the second of Blachly's town buildings is the now defunct old General Store residing to the left of the post office in the photo above  and was built in 1918 by Arnold Myers grandfather. And who is Arnold Myers?

Arnold Myers caught leaving the post office while I was snapping some of the old post office photos. I asked him if he was a local and he assured me that he was by telling me he had lived his entire life in Blachly. 

He did say that the building next to the post office was built by his grandfather in 1918 and became the first building in Blachly that was a dedicated General Store. It was sold 20 years ago to a marketing firm. 

He told me that the store's architecture had not really changed although I noticed the place had new windows and siding. Arnold told me the porch still was the same design as when it was built. Also he added that parties and dances used to be held in the upstairs. 

A General Store with that many years of operation surely has many stories to tell about the community. 

Arnold said there were no official historians of the town.