Laughlin Round Barn
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Laughlin Round Barn | |
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| Nearest city | Castle Rock, Washington |
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| Coordinates | 46°20′25″N 122°55′24″W / 46.34028°N 122.92333°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1883 |
| Built by | Samuel Laughlin |
| Architectural style | Round Barn |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001080[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 15, 1986 |
The Laughlin Round Barn near Castle Rock, Washington is a round barn built in 1883. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[1][2] The Laughlin Barn is one of fewer than five within the state. According to one scholar of farm structures, the Laughlin Barn is also probably the oldest round barn in Washington State if not in the northwest three state region." The Laughlin Round Barn was contemporary with the national construction of round barns in the United States, beginning in the 1880s and continuing until the 1920s. The round barn was popular for dairy farming. This was a period of experimentation by agricultural colleges and the publication of plans in farm journals. The advantages claimed were an economy of materials and a "greater efficiency in feeding and maintaining animals.”[2]
Eventually, as labor became more expensive and farms increased in size, round forms ceased to be advantageous economically and the construction of round barns became less frequent. Only seven round barns have been identified between 1880 and 1920 in Washington. Only four remained in 1986. Additionally, nine or ten polygonal barns were constructed in Washington, of which six or seven are known to be standing. Constructed about 1882, the Laughlin barn was unusually early in the era of round barns. The round barns in eastern and central Washington were constructed between 1915 and 1925. In the southwestern part of the state, a polygonal and two other round barns were constructed. A polygonal barn in neighboring Wahkiakum County was constructed as early as the 1880s. Another round barn in Wahkiakum County, with a large onion-domed dairy barn constructed about 1915, has fallen within the last two years.[2]
The Laughlin Barn was constructed by Samuel Laughlin (1843-1910), who immigrated from Missouri to Cowlitz County with his family in 1873. Laughlin and his wife Eliza first settled in Olequa. Laughlin worked as a land surveyor for the government, briefly as a school teacher, and for several years as a section foreman for the railroad bridge crew. He also served as the second postmaster in Olequa, operating the post office out of his home for several years.[2] In August 1877, the Laughlins purchased the 80-acre Cowlitz Valley tract. It was not until December of 1881 that the family moved to the property. During this time, the Victorian residence was under construction.[2] The barn’s construction was shortly after the family moved into their new home about 1881. It is known that the substantial Victorian house on the farmstead had been built at least by the early 1880s. The homestead house burned in 1923. The barn was built shortly after. Samuel Laughlin had constructed a house in Missouri, and a barn with the help of his son Peter. It is believed that Laughlin had seen examples of round barns while visiting relatives in Oregon.[2]
