Location County Road G50 Built 1875 Opened 1875 Nearest city St. Charles | Area less than one acre NRHP Reference # 87001665 Added to NRHP 29 September 1987 | |
 | ||
MPS Legacy in Stone: The Settlement Era of Madison County, Iowa TR | ||
The John S. and Elizabeth Beem Holmes Barn is a historic building located on a farm southwest of St. Charles, Iowa, United States. The Holmes' settled in Madison County in 1854 from Indiana. Their initial 40-acre (16 ha) farm eventually expanded to a 350 acres (140 ha). John Holmes farmed, raised livestock, and held several local offices in the community. This building is a fine example of a vernacular limestone farm building. The 1½-story structure is composed of large blocks of locally quarried finished cut stone. It is equivalent in height to a three-story building. There was an attempt some time ago to stucco the structure in order to preserve the stone, however, a storm a few hours after it was applied washed most of it off. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.