The Polygonal Barn, New Oregon Township is an historic building located near Cresco in rural

Howard County, Iowa Howard County is a county located in the US state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,469. The county seat is Cresco. The county was founded in 1851; it was named for General Tilghman Ashurst Howard, a Representative of India ...

, United States. It was built in 1920 as a show barn for English

Shorthorn The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late eighteenth century. The breed was developed as dual-purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however, certain blood lines within the breed always emp ...

cattle. The 16-sided building measures in diameter. The polygonal barn of 6 to 16 equal sides is the most common variation of the

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 to 1920 represent th ...

that was constructed in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

. with It features a two-pitch sectional roof, a central silo and small dormers near the top of the roof on the north and south sides. The barn was used for dairy cattle from 1958 to 1968, and it was then used for pigs and feeder cattle. It has been 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 ...

since 1986.

References

Infrastructure completed in 1920 Buildings and structures in Howard County, Iowa Barns on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Polygonal barns in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Howard County, Iowa {{Iowa-struct-stub