Round Barn of Chatham, Mississippi

Mississippi has an unusual semi-round barn in Washington County. This one is in Chatham, near Lake Washington. Take the Eastside Lake Washington Road north of Lake Washington, and at the 3-way junction with Leota Road and Stein Road, you will see the barn.

Round barn, Chatham, Mississippi

It is called round but is really 16-sided. According to Preservation Mississippi's 101 Mississippi Places to See Before You Die (the preliminary list), the barn dates from the 1920s:

SHARECROPPERS' COTTON STORAGE BARN Stein Rd. toward Lake Jackson

Chatham MS

Sharecroppers' shares were kept separate in this structure which was divided into compartments. Cotton trailers were backed up to the high openings and the cotton was unloaded into the individual farmer's section. 

Update January 2017.  Mississippi Department of Archives and History has placed a historic marker in front of the barn. 

Cotton fields, Chatham, Mississippi

As of a few years ago, these fields were still being used for cotton production. But, depending on commodity prices, they could also be used for soybeans or something else. 

Drive on Lake Jackson Road, and you can see some old sheds and crumbling houses.

True round barns were pioneered at the University of Illinois, in Urbana, Illinois. The round barns were supposed to be easier to erect, use less material for the enclosed volume, and withstand Midwestern wind storms better than the regular rectangle design. The round design became popular in the decades between 1880 and 1920, with hundreds being erected in Illinois, Indiana, and adjoining states. Experimentation with this unusual architectural style ended during the agricultural depression following World War I. I have eaten in a restaurant that was situated in one of these round barns in Champaign, Illinois. As I recall, the roof was supported by a single strong central pole, leaving much open space around the periphery.

There is a nationwide round barn inventory you can explore. 

Another true round barn is in Arcadia, Oklahoma, along Route 66. 

Not far away from Chatham is another architectural curiosity, the Italianate and now-crumbling mansion Mount Holly. 

These are digital images from a Sony DSC-W7 compact digital camera.

Country Store Still in Business: Roy's Store, Chatham, Mississippi

Roy's Store is one of the rare 100-year old Mississippi country stores that is still in business, and doing very well with its clientele of hunters and fishermen. Located at 2202 Lake Washington Road near the northern end of Lake Washington, it has survived floods and the Great Depression.

Roy's Store and Cabins, Chatham, Mississippi

The front has been fixed up and has modern gasoline pumps.

 

 

The inside is full of useful stuff for fishermen, along with and bits and pieces from the old days.  Stop for a coffee or snack. As of 2008, there was not yet an espresso machine.

Old Highway 61, Chatham, Mississippi

This is part of the original U.S. Highway 61. It is a single concrete lane running straight through the farmland.  It was explained to me that in the 1920s, the State could only afford to pave a single lane, which was adequate in an era when few people had cars or mechanized farm machines.

In winter, this is an excellent area for birding.  These people are participating in the annual Audubon Society Christmas bird count.

Lake Washington

Lake Washington is rimmed with cypress trees and is a great place to see cormorants, grebes, and other waterfowl. It is well worth a visit. Close by are the two abandoned mansions at Lake Washington.

For more information on Roy's Store and Cabins, call 662-827-2588.

Update June 5 2017: An Australian gent posted some wonderful photos of Roy's Store on his blog, The Rolling Road. Click the link. He is a Leica photographer.