The Anderson Barn near Johnstown in

Weld County, Colorado Weld County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 328,981. The county seat is Greeley. Weld County comprises the Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Denver ...

, also known as the Carlson Barn, is a gambrel-roofed ornamental block building built in 1913. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2004. It is about in plan. It has walls built of plain-faced ornamental blocks. Its gambrel roof, covered in asphalt shingles in 2004, has two large metal

ventilators A ventilator is a piece of medical technology that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently. Ventilators ...

and a

hay hood A hay hood is a roof extension which projects from the ridge of a barn roof, usually at the top of a gable. It provides shelter over a window or door used for passing hay into the attic or loft of the barn; it may hold a pulley for hoisting hay or ...

projecting out the ridge on the south side. It was deemed "an excellent example of a gambrel-roofed barn using plain-faced ornamental concrete block for its lower level." It might have been built from a kit, as might be sold by "mail-order firms as Sears, Roebuck and Company, Montgomery Ward, and the Aladdin Company. The blocks were to be made on-site with a hand-operated machine supplied in the kit. The remainder of the materials (cement, lumber, roofing, windows and hardware) were shipped by rail to the nearest siding. Local contractors or property owners fabricated the blocks, laid the masonry walls and then built the frame interior and roof structure." It is located in a cluster of farm buildings to the north of

Colorado State Highway 60 State Highway 60 (SH 60) is a state highway in Colorado that connects Campion, Johnstown and Milliken. SH 60's western terminus is at U.S. Route 287 (US 287) in Campion, and the eastern terminus is at US 85 in Houston. Route description ...

, about due east of the eastern end of Johnstown Reservoir. The other buildings include a seed shed, a livestock shed, and two poured-concrete

silo A silo (from the Greek σιρός – ''siros'', "pit for holding grain") is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage, not to be confused with a grain bin, which is used t ...

s. Albert Anderson, who immigrated from Sweden in 1912, purchased the property. He, C.E. "Cement" Carlson, and four young Russian immigrants built the barn, with blocks that were individually formed using a hand cement mixer. "The barn originally accommodated draft horse stalls and family milk cows. The loft was used for the storage of hay and straw.The barn has been well maintained throughout the years. About ten years ago the building was re- shingled by Ray Ezinga, a contractor from Loveland, Colorado. The work cost $6,000. Two years ago a painter from Loveland painted the barn and other buildings, including the machine, seed, and livestock sheds, for a total cost of $5,200." Melvin Carlson and family members long participated in

quarter horse The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at s ...

shows. He is a member of the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association and of the National Western Stock Show Livestock Association:

In 2002, the barn was nominated for the Barn Again! Farm Heritage Award sponsored by ''
Successful Farming Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
'' magazine and the
National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
. Melvin Carlson received a certificate of commendation "in recognition of outstanding efforts in preserving and maintaining America's Rural Heritage." With

In 2004 the farm buildings' property is owned by Albert's grandson Melvin Carlson, although all but of the farm's land was sold for development in 1999.

References

External links

* Barns on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado Ornamental block buildings National Register of Historic Places in Weld County, Colorado Industrial buildings completed in 1913 Barns with hay hoods 1913 establishments in Colorado {{Colorado-NRHP-stub