Round Barn
A barn is more than a building. A factory, a warehouse and a social gathering place, barns were the heart of America's farms and a vital part of rural community life for many years. Today, the barn remains a strong symbol of early community life even as many disappear from our countryside.
The Moody Round Barn is the last round barn in Chisago County. It is on the National Register of Historic Sites. It is one of less than a dozen round barns left in the state of Minnesota.
The land in this area was purchased for $6.25 an acre and homesteaded by Elof and Eva Modig in 1872. They had emigrated from Hovmantorp, Kronoberg, Sweden. They are listed in the Minnesota census records for 1875 thru 1895 as “Peterson", a name they used for many years before becoming "Moody". Elof and Eva were among the founders of Zion Lutheran Church in 1874 in Chisago City.
The original barn on this property was rectangular in design and was located just to the west of the picnic shelter. This classic round barn was built in 1915 by C.A. Moody (Elof and Eva's son). Round barns were seen as labor-saving modern structures for farms transitioning from wheat and grain crops to dairy products.
The design allowed a single farmer to efficiently and easily feed and handle livestock. Cows were milked in this barn until 1982.
The barn stands 56 feet high and is 56 feet in diameter. Seven men labored for $1 a day plus meals to put the barn together.
All of the oak beams were harvested locally. The curved sill beams and hay loft support pieces were made by soaking the timber in the lake until it could be bent easily into place.
The total cost to build the barn was $3,200. The barn has always been painted blue with white trim., It has been a community landmark since its completion.
