T. A. Leonard Barn

The T. A. Leonard Barn is a historic 12-sided (dodecagon) barn located 3.5 miles southeast of Pullman, Washington. It was built in 1917 by farmer Thomas Andrew Leonard. It has remained relatively unchanged and in good condition. It appears that it is still owned by the Leonard family and not open to the public. It is, however, definitely a local landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1986). The structure is one of two "round barns" remaining in Whitman County and one of ten in the state.

Round farms were popular between 1880 and 1920, and reflected the need for more efficient farming practices as urbanization increased and the demand for food rose. Farmers began to adopt round barns because they could enclose the most volume with the least amount of materials and money. When used for livestock, round barns were preferred to rectangular barns because it was easier to move animals around when they didn't have to go around corners. Although they were innovative for the time, rectangular barns remained the norm.

T. A. Leonard was well aware of these trends and built his barn in order to feed and clean his livestock more efficiently and he also preferred more natural lighting. The round barn was a replacement for an earlier barn which burned down. 

In 2000-2001, the barn was fully restored by Bill Leonard, grandson of T. A. Leonard. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but is privately owned.

http://landmarkhunter.com/177611-t-leonard-barn. Retrieved 4-28-15. Burger, D. & Nye S. "T.A. Leonard Bar," National Register of Historic Places. 5-2-86. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/86000963.pdfKomanchek, Wendy. Round Barns: Preserving a Truly American Tradition. Grit: Rural American Know-How. Accessed November 04, 2017. http://www.grit.com/community/round-barns.