McMonies Barn
a.k.a. Mentzel Barn
604 33rd St. SE, Huron, SDThe McMonies Barn is a fine example of a variation of a Feeder Barn. The McMonies Barn is located in the Huron vicinity, of Beadle County, South Dakota. The Chicago and Northwestern Railroad established Huron in 1879 and promoted the surrounding area by advertising the abundance of cheap, fertile farmland. Agriculture remains the main economic activity in the primarily rural county.
D.E. McMonies built the 64' x 96' barn in 1915. The barn was built with enough mow room for 250 tons of alfalfa, 10 single stalls for mares, box stalls for three pregnant animals, and a box stall for a stallion.' Directly to the south of the barn was an exercise yard. The McMonies farm raised alfalfa, oats, barley, wheat, corn, and various vegetables.? The Mentzels purchased the farm in 1944 and have resided there ever since. The barn is still used to house livestock.
The McMonies Barn is likely a variation of a Feeder barn, which is a plank frame version of a Midwest Three-Portal Barn. Feeder barns were used primarily to house livestock. Characteristics of a Feeder barn found in the McMonies barn include a central aisle, hayhood, and large gable end loft doors. It is uncommon, though, for a feeder barn of this size to have a gambrel roof. Although some early Midwest Three-Portal barns have gambrel roofs that replaced the original gables, some 20" century barns were built with gambrel roofs to spread out and cover the side aisles."
The railroad brought not only settlers to South Dakota but also the materials that would aid them as they homesteaded the vast treeless prairie. The availability of dimensional lumber, machined nails, and other materials is reflected in the type of structures the settlers built. The abundance of materials available to settlers and the development of new light-framing techniques greatly influenced the types of barns built after the late 19th century. Although the McMonies Barn is larger than the popular general-purpose barn that the United States Department of Agriculture designed for widespread use throughout the Midwest, its construction style and use are comparable.
The McMonies Barn a fine example of a variatiori of Feeder Barns. It retains excellent integrity in condition and setting.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.