Pair of Allamakee County barns part of All-State Iowa Barn Foundation Tour

Two barns located in Allamakee County will be included in this year’s All-State Iowa Barn Foundation Tour, to be held October 16-17. The tour is self-guided and open to the public. Featured are barns renovated or restored by matching grants from the Iowa Barn Foundation or by owners who have refurbished their barns without grant assistance, but who support the mission of the Iowa Barn Foundation. Allamakee County locations included in the tour are the Chimney Rock Ranch and the Marlow-Saak Barn.
The Chimney Rock Ranch is located at 1245 Chimney Rock Road, Waterville (from the stop light in Waukon, travel east on Elon Road (A-52) about 6.8 miles to its intersection with Chimney Rock Road. Turn right on Chimney Rock Road and travel south). The farmyard is at the end of a long driveway. The large building is a corn crib, granary, hog barn and machine shed, built in two parts in 1907-08. The corn crib/granary has a basement for hogs. The second part was added to the north end of the original building.
The Marlow-Saak Barn is located at 1431 Pole Line Road, Waukon (from Decorah Hwy. 9 and Hwy. 52 intersection, take Hwy. 9 east 12.4 miles to Pole Line Road. Turn north (left) and go 2.2 miles. After crossing Old Stage Road, the road will be gravel. First farm on the right). This barn, built in the 1890s, is 40'x70'. Saak family names are on the interior. “As an immigrant from England and recent American citizen, I have come to realize midwestern barns are like the churches and cathedrals of Europe in scale and importance to the landscape,” wrote the owner.
For more information about the tour, visit www.iowabarnfoundation.org.