Turner Barn Named to National Register
The massive Turner barn is in an impressive style unique to Johnson County. The barn was designed and constructed by Arthur J. Clinton, a resident of Spring Hill, Kansas, who has been credited with building many barns throughout Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Clinton was widely regarded in the region as a premier barn builder and the Turner barn is a fine, artistic example of his work.
The structure’s exterior gives the impression of a three-story building, but the interior is two stories. The first story accommodated horses used to work the farm and the second story served as a haymow. The east and west facades have double siding doors on the first story, allowing horses (and later, machinery) to drive completely through the barn. The doors feature Clinton’s trademark double diamond motif.
The barn’s excellent state of preservation is due to the maintenance by the Turner family and its unique materials. The barn was constructed of cypress, a material rarely used in Johnson County. The Turner barn was featured in a trade catalogue published by the Louisiana Red Cypress Bureau. The catalogue, touting cypress as the “wood eternal,” stated, “…its outstanding characteristic and one which should recommend it to every home builder and industrial user of wood is the remarkable and proved durability of this wood when exposed to the weather, to contact with damp soil or to the action of chemical agents.” While its strength as a construction material far surpasses other commonly used woods, its overall cost rendered it prohibitive to most farmers of the day.
The size, design, and material of the barn illustrate Turner’s prominence and prosperity within Johnson County’s agricultural community. The 1905 Gardner Township Census records show that W.T. Turner owned 345 improved acres of farm land and property valued at over $20,000. The farming operation included production of hay and grain to feed livestock, raising cattle and swine for slaughter, and fenced acreage for grazing.
W.T. “Tom” Turner’s success as a farmer led to his respect in Johnson County political circles. His election to the position of County Treasurer was directly based on his accomplishments in the rural community. A 1904 article in The Olathe Register stated that “Tom Turner, the democratic nominee for county treasurer, is a man of the highest integrity and ability. He has made a success of his business and will make an accommodating and capable county treasurer.”
W.T. Turner’s son, Ollie, took over the barn’s portion of the homestead when the land was divided upon W.T. Turner’s death. The barn continued to serve as a functioning structure on the farm. As the need for work horses declined, the first floor of the barn served as storage for agricultural equipment and grain. The farm continued to produce significant amounts of livestock, grain and hay and the barn is still the center of day-to-day farm operations.
The Turner barn was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in December 1998.
--ALBUM vol. 12, no. 1 (winter 1999)