The photos below show the various stages in the barn's construction.
Octagonal Barn
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| This sheep barn, in Petersham, Massachusetts, is a true octagon measuring 50' in diameter. The design is reminiscent of the round barn at Hancock Shaker Village, Hancock, Mass.
The photos below show the various stages in the barn's construction. |
| Sheep are housed in the lower part of the barn. Tractors and other farm equipment can enter the barn above to fill the perimeter of the barn with hay; the hay is dropped as needed to feed the sheep below. There is a central shaft topped by a cupola for ventilation, and an office for the farm manager. |
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Left: After cutting the frame, we moved everything to the site for assembly and raising. First, we assembled the deck.
Right: We preassembled the eight bents, and assembled the cupola, which was swung into place with a crane. |
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Left: Erecting the bents with a crane.
Right: The crew continued to work on the eight bents in the structure. |
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Left: We added the plates, using a traditional step lap joint on the plates.
Right: Next came the rafters. |
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Left: We used a five-sided hip so that the jack rafters would meet the hip at a 90 degree angle, an idea we got from a restoration job we did on a house that had partially burned. This technique vastly simplifies the compound joinery.
Right: The tenons of the cupola are ready to drop into the mortises. |
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Left: Finishing the roof.
Right: The assembled barn, shown from above. The barn will be finished with ship lap boards. |
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