Round barns are distinctive for many reasons; most obviously their round shape, but these barns also represent a period of experimentation in agriculture at the turn of the twentieth century. The round shape is an exploration in efficiency. The dairy cattle were housed on the main floor with hay storage above and the silo in the center.

This barn, constructed in 1888, was designed by Ernst Clausing, a well-known carpenter with a specialization in designing and constructing centric barns. This was the first of many octagonal dairy and horse barns constructed by Ernst Clausing and his brother in Ozaukee County, almost always for members of the family, relations, or friendly neighbors, who were usually of German ancestry. The Vocke family, who were indeed friends and neighbors of the Clausings, built the barn on their existing eighty-acre dairy farm. The barn was owned and operated as a dairy farm by the Vocke family through the 1950s.

Centric barns are becoming rarer and are significant to the history of agricultural architecture in Wisconsin, especially in the context of vernacular round barn building traditions. This listing recognizes a unique period of Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage.

This barn is private property. Please respect the rights and privacy of the owners.