Description of Historic Place

Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is a large, rectangular barn connected to a Stable of similar design to form an L-shaped site located at the Indian Head Agricultural Research Farm, Saskatchewan. Featuring a white painted facade with contrasting dark trim, a concrete foundation and a bellcast gambrel roof, it is typical of commercial barns of the era. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Heritage Value: Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building due to its historical, architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value
Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is a very good example of the theme of agricultural research conducted by the federal government to improve the industry through the development of a network of Canadian experimental farms. It represents the importance of early 20th century livestock research and is a very good illustration of the growth and prosperity of the region. Built to replace the previous barn destroyed by a fire, Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) represents a phase of significant intensification in the breeding program at the Farm.

Architectural Value
Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is a good representation of a large commercial barn built in the 1910s. Its good aesthetic design features a bellcast gambrel roof, board and batten siding, a concrete floor and foundation, rectangular and round windows, ventilator cupolas and contrasting trim. Its good functional design is represented by its extra storage space in the gambrel roof, standard stall and aisle layout, large windows at lower animal levels and the Rutherford ventilation system. It displays very good quality craftsmanship and materials and remains in good condition.

Environmental Value
Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is situated within a complex of buildings set in a large expanse of open fields and reinforces the rural farm-like character of its setting. It has maintained a good relationship with its surrounding landscape despite some changes to the site. Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is popular with visitors, often photographed and painted, and is known as being one of the largest of its kind in the province.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-Defining Elements
The following character-defining elements of Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) should be respected.

Its good aesthetic and functional design as represented in: its early 20th century design typical of Canadian experimental farms in the 1910s; its large rectangular, horizontal massing, its frame construction with board and batten siding, set on an exposed, raised concrete foundation, the gambrel roof with a slight bellcast and metal cladding, and the remaining three cupolas for ventilation; the original placement, design and materials of doors and windows, including the large doub-door east entrance, the north and west entrances, the simple, contrasting trim and Rutherford ventilation system; its simple, functional interior layout; its contribution to the composition of the Indian Head Research Farm and its relationship to the Stable (Building No. 15); its central location on the Indian Head Research Farm directly across from the main (west) farm entrance.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

Description of historic place
The Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is a large, rectangular, wood-framed barn, minimally attached to a Stable (Building 15) of similar design in an ‘L’- shaped configuration. Representative of commercial barns of the era it has a concrete foundation, a bellcast gambrel roof, a large access door, board and batten siding, and rectangular windows. It is white painted with contrasting trim. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage value
The Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building due to its historical, architectural and environmental value.

Historical value
The Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is a very good example to illustrate the theme of agricultural research conducted by the federal government to promote and improve agriculture via a network of Canadian experimental farms. Integral to the Indian Head Research Farm, one of the five original experimental farms in the network, the building illustrates the importance of early 20th century livestock research. Constructed 1912-1914, the Cattle Barn is a very good illustration of the development and prosperity of the region during a time of rapid growth in agricultural research. It marks a phase of significant intensification in the breeding program at the Farm. Built to replace the barn destroyed by fire in 1912, the new building incorporated functional improvements and was visually prominent to emphasize the importance of livestock breeding to the local farming community.

Architectural value
Larger in scale than most commercial barns of the time, the Cattle Barn (Building No. 14) is a good representative example of a barn built in the 1910s. Features include a bellcast gambrel roof, board and batten siding, and a concrete floor and foundation. Minimally connected to the Stable (Building 15) to form an “L”, the barns are similar in rectangular plan and form. The Cattle Barn features horizontal massing, rectangular windows that are larger at the lower levels, round windows, ventilator cupolas and contrasting trim. Representative of period local barns it has good functional qualities with livestock below, hay and storage above, good day lighting and efficient ventilation. Functional design points include extra storage space in the gambrel roof, standard stall and aisle layout for ease of movement, large windows at lower animal levels to increase daylight; and a Rutherford ventilation system with fresh air intake through the foundation walls and exhaust shafts from the loft floors through the roof. Used now for storage, the barn has seen few changes and has adapted to changing requirements.The Cattle Barn displays very good quality craftsmanship and materials. Used for its intended function, housing livestock, until the 1960s, it had little maintenance since but remains in good condition. The Cattle Barn was designed by W.T. Mollard, Department of Public Works Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Environmental value
Surrounding silos and sheds have been replaced and removed and the farm entrance location changed due to evolving functions. Despite these changes the character of the historical relationship between the Cattle Barn and its associated environment is retained. The two barns continue to dominate the site. Located at the centre of the experimental farm, the Cattle Barn is in line with the main entrance. Situated within a complex of buildings set in a large expanse of open fields, the prominence, scale, design and function of the Cattle Barn reinforces the character of its rural farm setting. Popular with visitors, often photographed and painted, the Cattle Barn has been depicted in two books on barns in western Canada and featured in the film “The Englishman’s Boy”. The local Heritage Resources Branch of the Department of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sports recognizes the building as known in the region as being amongst the largest of its kind in the province.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Cattle Barn (Building No.14) which must be respected include:

• its early 20th century style representative of the type of barn built at Canadian experimental farms in the 1910s;
• the large rectangular massing with horizontal emphasis, the frame construction with board and batten siding, set on an exposed, raised concrete foundation visible from the outside with windows on all sides and doors on its north, west and east sides, and the gambrel roof with a slight bellcast and metal cladding, and the remaining three cupolas for ventilation;
• the original placement, design and materials of doors and windows of different sizes; including the large double-door entrance on the east elevation, and the entrances on the north and west elevations, and the simple, exterior’s paint scheme of white with dark trim, and the Rutherford ventilation system;
• the interior’s simple, functional layout, designed to accommodate cattle;
• the building’s contribution to the composition of the Indian Head Research Farm and its visual and physical relationship to the Stable (Building No.15).
• the location on the Indian Head Research Farm, in the central portion, directly across from the main (west) farm entrance.