Octagon Barn Narrative
BACKGROUND:
The site of the Octagon Barn is located in Tuscola County approximately 1 mile east of the Village of Gagetown along Bay City Forestville Road and 1 mile north on Richie Road, just south of the Huron County border. Referred to as the “round barn” by local residents, it has been a landmark in this area for years.
Mr. James Purdy purchased the first forty acres of land in 1907 for $600.00. In 1918 he purchased the forty acres where the house and barn still stand for $1,250.00. Ultimately he managed a farm that totaled 520 acres. In 1942, he sold the farm and moved back to Gagetown.
Since the Purdy’s sold the farm there have been five owners over the years. It was in the 1960’s that the 440 acres to the north in Huron County were sold to a private owner. Eventually it was sold to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In 1991 the remaining eighty-acre parcel, which included the octagon barn, house, and out buildings was sold to the DNR for $49,500.
In 1919 James Purdy hired George and John Munro to build the two-story, 12 room, craftsman style house. The Purdy’s moved into their home on May 19, 1922 along with their two daughters.
Construction of the octagonal shaped barn was started in 1923 and was completed in 1924. As the story goes, Mr. Purdy was on a trip to Iowa and saw an octagon barn like this one. He came home and again hired the Munro Brothers to build this barn. The Munro brothers were the only builders in Gagetown at the time but “they were very good builders” according to Orville H. Karr who knew them well. The Munro’s consulted with Russell Jaggers, principal and mathematics teacher in Gagetown, to help with the mathematical calculations necessary to construct an octagonal building.
Also, on the site is a brick powerhouse. In the beginning Mr. Purdy experimented with a steam powered generator with the thought of selling electricity to Gagetown and Owendale. He had muck, obtained from the low lands on the back of the farm, dried into brick sized cakes to be used as fuel for the steam boiler. We are told that this did not work out because he was not able to obtain a hot enough fire and subsequently converted to a 32 volt DC Delco System to provide electricity for the farm. When REA brought lines down Richie road in the forties, he did not hook up immediately, because they had their own electrical system. The powerhouse is a very ornate building with fancy brickwork in the gable ends and completely plastered on the inside. Due to the extent of weathering, it will have to be torn down and rebuilt.
The garage, also one of the original buildings on the site, was a very ornate structure as well. The track for the sliding doors was supported by an arbor like structure projecting out approximately 30” from the front of the building. This arbor was supported by seven round wooden columns. The garage has received a new roof, a new foundation, floor and a fresh coat of paint. In time the front will be restored to its original design.
Other buildings on the property included an icehouse, wood/coal shed, chicken coop, and corncrib, which were torn down or removed by subsequent owners.
WHY AN OCTAGON BARN?
Besides the fact that Mr. Purdy was taken up by the uniqueness of this shape of barn, it was during this period that the agricultural community was promoting an octagon or round barn as the building of the future for agriculture. It was felt that this shape of building would be handier to work out of and that it would replace three or four buildings on the farm, i.e. hog building, horse barn, grainery, etc.).
At this same time Sears Roebuck & Co. listed a number of different sized octagon barn packages in their catalogue. You could order a barn “kit” and it was loaded on a flat car in Chicago and shipped all over the country.
It is obvious that if an octagon barn was the building of the future for agriculture there would have been more of them dotting our landscape. In talking to men who worked on the Purdy Farm as boys, they said that it was not as handy to work in and it was a more costly building to build.
BARN INFORMATION:
The barn was featured in the June 1925 issue of “American Builder” magazine on page 264. The article concentrates primarily on the barn with some attention to the other buildings on the site. This is a quote taken from that issue: “Anyone who happened to be in the vicinity of Gagetown, Mich., would find it worth while to get a view of the farm home of Mr. J. L. Purdy. The most striking feature of this group of buildings is the novel barn, which is octagon in shape. However, the house is equally worth seeing and the whole group with its well laid out and careful tended grounds is a fine example of what a home in the country may be.”
EXTERIOR FEATURES:
The barn has 8 sides each measuring 42 ft. 6 in. long and 24 ft. high. It has a poured cement foundation 4 ft. high that supports a 20' high timber framed wall. The framing is sheathed with 1x12 shiplap siding and encircling the entire building are thirty 10x12 6-lite windows. To the tip of the weathervane the barn is 70 ft. tall and covers approximately 3/16 of an acre.
The roof has three different levels, each with a 5/12 pitch. The lower level and largest area of roof runs 34 ' to the first vertical wall, a "turret-like" structure rising 8'6" to the second roof level. From the center of each of these walls projects a dormer 8' wide and 5'6" high running 15' back down the first roof level. There is a 9x12 9-lite window in the face of each dormer and one on both sides of the dormer in the vertical wall. The second roof level runs 16' to the next vertical wall, an octagon cupola that rises 6'8" to the third roof level. Each side of the cupola measures 6'2" wide by 6'8" high and has a 9x12 9-lite window. The third roof level runs 8'. The apex of the cupola supports a large steel ventilator. Evidence of a lightning rod system still exists which was added several years after the barn was constructed. There are 32 windows in the upper level with 288 individual windowpanes in the barn roof, which seem to be positioned to minimize the amount of direct sunlight shining on the hayloft area.
INTERIOR FEATURES:
The ground floor of the barn measures 8,600 square feet and the loft area 5,700 square feet for a combined total of 14,300 square feet. The distance between opposite walls is 102 ft. 6 inches. In the center, on the ground level, there is a 44 ft. octagonal arena, which had a dirt floor but in 2001 was resurfaced with concrete. Originally on the north side of this arena there was a wood stave silo, which was used for storage of grain for feeder cattle. It is no longer there having fallen into such a state of disrepair that a previous owner removed it. There was also a set of scales on the south side of the arena that was used to weigh cattle before taking them to the stockyard in Gagetown. Between the arena and the outside wall of the barn are stables, tack room and grain storage areas. This area has cement floors and it's own ceiling, which is the floor of the 29 ft. mow/loft that follows the circumference of the barn with the exception of the west, and east ends. These ends were left open to allow access to the interior through 14 x 14 ft. doors. A cool breeze always seems to blow freely when these large doors are open. Looking above the hayloft, you can see the remains of a circular track and hay car, used to move loose hay from wagons below and distribute it around the loft area. Also, there are airshafts that were part of a sophisticated ventilation system designed to circulate fresh air around and through the building at all times. The light filtering down through the dormers and cupola lend a cathedral-like aura to the interior.
ORIGINAL OWNER BIOGRAPHY:
James L. Purdy joined his father in the banking business in 1890 at the Gagetown State Savings Bank. He demonstrated much natural ability in the profession and soon became President of the bank. Under his leadership the bank flourished and was one of only two banks in Michigan to remain solvent during the Great Depression. Post depression Americans were very leery of using banks and James Purdy and other bankers met in Lansing and formulated a plan through which they believed faith could be restored in the system. They felt that the Federal Government should insure the investor’s money. Mr. Purdy traveled to Washington to talk to Michigan Senator Arthur Vandenburg (Grand Rapids), who introduced the bill into the Senate. It gained the support of President Franklin Roosevelt and led to the formation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. James Purdy and other Michigan bankers are recognized as the originators of the (F.D.I.C.) concept.
Mr. Purdy also owned the lumberyard in Gagetown and felt that the cost of lumber ($18.00 per thousand board feet) was reasonable at the time and therefore decided to start building his "air castle" (octagon barn). Tamarack trees were taken from the woods surrounding his property and cut into timbers for the barn. Mr. Purdy was a wise man and had the extravagant 12-room house with 7 bedrooms, best described as a craftsman type bungalow popular in the early 1920's, built first. This home has some special features not found in your typical farmhouse. Masons from Bad Axe formed a natural stone fireplace and brick pillars on the porte-cochere and the front porch. A large built-in icebox in the kitchen is still in place.
James (1870-1950) and Cora (1870-1955) had two daughters: Florence (1900-1985) and Carolyn (1907-1969). Both girls later married. Florence did not have any children and Carolyn (Purdy) Wilson had three sons. Two of the Wilson sons (James Purdy and George) are still living in the area.
The Purdy's moved into their new home on Richie Rd. on May 19, 1922. In 1942 they sold the farm and moved back into the Village of Gagetown. James Purdy died on Christmas Eve in 1950 at the age of 80 and Cora died in 1955 at 86.
Cora Purdy kept wonderful diaries from 1895-1954 and her grandson, James Purdy Wilson of Caro, has preserved these. They have been extremely valuable in documenting events as they relate to the early days of life at the Octagon Barn Complex. Mrs. Purdy on January 17, 1919 made the following entry, "Jim has great intentions of building a wonderful home on his Mud Lake Estate". Cora also added, "One of his dreams or air castles." It wasn’t long after that construction began on his wonderful home followed by the construction of the octagonal barn.
MUNRO INFORMATION:
George Munro continued to build barns in the area but unfortunately lost his life in 1939 when he fell off a barn roof under construction. John Munro moved to Albion, MI., shortly after building the octagon barn, where he continued building homes rather than barns. Cecil Trine, of Marshall, MI. worked for John Munro and has photographed some of the homes he built in the Albion area. The most outstanding is Bellemont Manor, currently owned by Albion College and used as its Continuing Education Center. It was originally built for George Dean, President of Union Steel Products.
PRESENT STATUS:
Through the years the property has had many owners. In 1991 the estate ended up in the hands of the local bank and was purchased by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (D.N.R.). The D.N.R. was especially interested in the land because it connected two parcels that were a part of the Gagetown State Game Area. The D.N.R. was not interested in any of the buildings and wanted them moved or simply demolished. It was soon pointed out that the barn was on the State Historical Registry and this prevented the D.N.R. from tearing it down. With the D.N.R.’s focus on game management, they were not interested in nor did they have the funds to restore the buildings.
As a result, a group of interested people from the area came together in 1993 with the battle cry "Save the Thumb Octagon Barn". “The Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn”, as they have come to be known, were formed. They immediately went to work with two basic goals: (1.) to petition the D.N.R. for control of the buildings and (2.) to bring attention to the barn as a landmark in the area. The mission of the Friends is to make this historical site a museum dedicated to preserving our agricultural heritage and to educate those that follow about rural life in the early 1900’s.
In 1995, an agreement was reached with the State of Michigan (D.N.R.), which gave control of almost ten acres to the Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn and the assurance that they could proceed with restoration efforts. In 2001 an additional parcel of land was offered to the Friends to be used for demonstration plots and parking so we entered into an agreement with DNR as sharecroppers. In 2003 a proposal was made offering the opportunity to acquire ownership of the land and buildings by the DNR. The agreement involves 26.5 acres, which includes a quarter mile of frontage along Richie Road. This is a very exciting acquisition and will enable us to move forward with our plan of action to make additional improvements and develop our agricultural museum as owners rather than being restricted by the regulations of others.
Following the signing of the agreement with the D.N.R. in 1995, the Friends have moved forward with restoration of the house and barn. A new roof has been put in place on the barn, house and garage. Also, new windows, siding, foundation work, paint and concrete have brought the barn back to its truly magnificent appearance. Work continues on the south mow/loft which when restored will become an integral part of our museum. The garage has a new foundation and much work has been completed in the house with many rooms freshly wallpapered, painted and resurfaced. New wiring has been added, plumbing replaced and the walls insulated. Much needed cleanup work has been done on the grounds, gates installed and entry drives improved. The Friends have put over $100,000 into the restoration project and expenses would be considerably more if it weren’t for all of the donated material and labor.
The Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn continue their community outreach activities with an emphasis on our agricultural heritage and rural living. Each May we conduct educational school tours for preschool through elementary grades that allows the students to participate in interactive displays depicting rural America in the 1920's and includes live farm animals. The week-end following Labor Day is set aside for our Fall Family Days when visitors can step back in time through displays and demonstrations to experience the color and mood of farming in the early nineteen hundreds at this beautiful farmstead setting. We also have a wide variety of souvenirs that are sold during our events and have been an excellent source of continued income.
The Friends welcome visitors to the site from May through October from dawn to dusk. Tours can be arranged for groups of 10 or more by calling 989-665-0081. Several weeks notice of a planned visit is suggested when date and length of time on site can be discussed. The tour of both the barn and house generally takes about 90 minutes but can be adjusted depending on available time for your groups visit. There is, at this time, no set admission fee but donations are greatly appreciated. Also, the Octagon Barn site can be reserved for large group picnics, reunions, weddings and other group gatherings. Guidelines, expenses and restrictions can be obtained by calling 989-665-0081.
In 1997, we started an aggressive membership drive and currently have 650 dues paying members who receive our quarterly newsletter. Membership forms and additional information regarding programs, scheduling of tours and museum donations can be obtained from our web site http://www.thumboctagonbarn.org. or by calling 989-665-0081 to be connected with someone who can assist you.
Starting in June of 1999, we have had a number of host couples living on the grounds serving as caretakers throughout the May to October period. They provide guided tours sharing the history and unique features of the structures, maintain the lawn and flowerbeds, perform minor repairs and most importantly provide security during the months that we are open to the public.
The Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn have been quite successful in raising the needed funds to restore the structures and move towards our goal of creating the Thumb Agricultural Museum thanks to the support of the community and the many who volunteer their time and talent.