A Bit of History

Contrary to popular opinion, all barns are not created rectangular and red. Wisconsin alone has approximately 200 round or "round-type" barns.  Folk wisdom attaches superstition to the shape, claiming that the barns were built round so the devil could not find a corner to hide in.     

Actually, they were modern technology at its finest, being cheaper to build than conventional barns because they used less material and being more resistant to strong winds because gusts were directed around the structure rather than buffeting against the walls.     

Round barns are a fine example of architecture in harmony with the rural landscape. They are an important part of our national heritage and they stand as monuments to their maker's ingenuity and craftsmanship.     

In 1952, the restaurant was renovated into a full service restaurant and bar. In 1974, a 27-room lodge was added, designed by James Pfefferkorn, a former Frank Lloyd Wright associate. The two-story lodge wraps around a beautiful wood-domed indoor pool.   In 1988, 14 rooms were added to the main lodge, bringing the total number of units to 43.

In 2004, John and Mary Pat Kaul purchased the Round Barn Lodge.  An entire face lift of the property was executed in 2018 and a beautiful waterfall and patio were added just off the banquet room.     

The cupola on the restaurant was once the top of a silo that ran from the ground level to the top of the structure. Through several windows in the ceiling of the restaurant and bar, patrons can look up 50 feet and see the original barn structure that help make The Round Barn a historic and exciting structure.     

One time local resident, Frank Lloyd Wright, said about The Round Barn, "They don't build them like that anymore".