This barn was built by Martin Flynn in the late 1860s. Flynn was an Irish immigrant who was involved in several industries and organizations in the Des Moines area during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The barn had a brick foundation with stabling for livestock. The first floor had granaries, large enough to store 4,000 bushels of corn and 3,000 bushels of oats, as well as an area to store 150 tons of hay and another area for agricultural equipment. In 1915, the Flynn family sold the barn and the rest of the property to the State, and it became the home of a low security prison farm. Living History Farms later purchased the property. Content can be used with the following standards: 3rd grade SS 3.28 Cultural Contributions and 3rd grade SS 3.27 Immigration and Migration in a lesson on historic rural towns in Iowa and small businesses. A photo of the barn's modern appearance are attached. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.
2018.016.002 [Barn]
Legal Status
Ownership of this resource is held by Living History Farms and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney.