National Register Listing

Cherbourg Round Barn

a.k.a. Round Barn

SW of Little Creek off DE 9, Little Creek, DE

Cherbourg Round Barn is significant for both architectural and engineering perspectives because of its unusual plan, use of formed concrete, and unsupported conical roofing system. No others are known to exist in Delaware,
The plan of Round Barn demonstrates an innovative approach to the problems associated with the shelter and nourishment of cattle. The circular plan maximizes the use of the ground floor and facilitates routine cleaning of the living and feeding area. The unusual roof permits the storage of large amounts of hay in proximity to the feeding area below, while the adjacent silos provide convenient storage for additional food supplements.

In the early twentieth century, formed concrete was used primarily for military coastal defense installations and in public construction projects involving bridges. Its use for purposes of private construction, in the case of Round Barn, is very unusual. Round Barn utilizes a mesh of twisted one-half-inch iron bars to increase the strength of the poured concrete. The construction of Round Barn was an ambitious project in which the originator broke with local traditional concepts of agricultural architecture to use new materials and plans. In essence, Round Barn is a poured concrete version of wooden, brick, and stone round barns occasionally built in New England and other parts of the United States during the nineteenth century.

The two-pitched roof is an extraordinary engineering feat. The roof is supported only by its straightforward system of rafters and plates. There are no additional interior cross braces or collars. There appears to have been no need of major repairs to the roof from the time that it was first put up, which gives silent testimony to the viability of this architectural form.

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1978.