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Matthew Farfan
Round barns were at one time scattered all across the southern part
of the Eastern Townships. In fact, in Quebec, they were almost totally
confined to this region. Unfortunately there are only a handful
left. Dating in most cases to the early 20th century, they represent
an important part of our architectural heritage.
The curious
circular form of the round barn is the subject of much superstition.
Like the X-shaped marks (hexes) that many farmers traditionally
painted on their barn doors, round barns are connected in popular
folklore with the notion of making the devil feel unwelcome. A hex
mark was meant to frighten off the devil, who, if he entered the
barn, was apt to hide in any number of dark corners, causing mischief,
setting fire to hay, and other such things. In a round barn, however,
there were no corners for him to hide in.
 Other
proponents of round barns held that the circle was the perfect shape.
In architecture, it was believed, a round shape promoted health,
happiness, and better motivation in work. Some of these beliefs,
particularly the one about the devil hiding in corners, may have
originated with the Shakers, a religious group that erected the
first round barns in New England in the 1820s. Round barns, like
much of our early domestic architecture, covered bridges, and even
popular beliefs and superstitions, were imported from New England.
In Vermont, there are still about a dozen round barns standing.
Round barn near Way's Mills. (Photo: Matthew Farfan)
Notwithstanding
the folklore, the motives for constructing round barns in the Eastern
Townships were infinitely more practical, and had to do with economy
and efficiency. Specifically, the circular shape offered farmers
a more efficient organization of space within the barn. Cattle,
which were kept on the ground floor, could be oriented towards the
centre, facilitating both feeding and cleaning. The upper floor,
as in rectangular barns, was used for storing feed and implements.
There were other advantages. With windows all around the building,
a constant supply of light was assured at all times of day. Ventilation
was said to be better. Also, the aerodynamic shape minimized the
force of violent winds. Finally, a round barn was no more difficult
to build than a traditional barn, but it used less wood in the structure.
There were serious
disadvantages, however. The circular shape required many more and
shorter pieces of wood for the siding. More important, it was nearly
impossible to expand the barn by adding other buildings. Ultimately,
it was technological change in 20th century dairy farming (improved
piping, and so on) that spelt the end of the round barn in the Eastern
Townships. Indeed, the fad was over almost as soon as it had begun.
Today there
are nine round barns still standing in the Eastern Townships. All
are located relatively close to the American border. The largest
concentration is in the Coaticook MRC (including two in the vicinity
of Way's Mills, one in Barnston, and one built in 1995 in the Gorge
de Coaticook Park). Other examples may be found in Mansonville,
Saint-Benoit-du-Lac (a round barn and a round hay tower), one in
West Brome, one near Dunham, and a unique 12-sided one in Mystic.
A number of these barns are in very poor condition. Two others in
the Coaticook MRC have collapsed in recent years. If the round barns
of the Eastern Townships are to avoid extinction, they will need
immediate protection and restoration.
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