• The setting sun over the Flint Hills casts shadows across the wide expanse of tallgrass prairie.

    Tallgrass Prairie

    National Preserve Kansas

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  • Our Address Has Changed

    Our new mailing address is: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve 2480 B Ks Hwy 177 Strong City, KS 66869

Virtual Tour Limestone Barn

Historic ranch circa 1900

Historic ranch circa 1900, W.H. Jackson

"A large stone barn and stable is in process of erection, but when the improvements and buildings contemplated by this gentleman are completed...." (Strong City Independent, October 15, 1881)

"It will take 5,000 pounds of tin to cover the mammoth barn of S.F. Jones on Fox Creek, and the tinners are laying it on." (Strong City Independent, December 24, 1881)


This massive barn measures 110 feet wide and 60 feet deep. The bottom level is built into the side of a south sloping hill, the second level even with the top of the hill, and the third story rises above.

 
barn built in 1882

View of the historic barn

The roof is a modified gable (wall area perpendicular to the roof ridge) covered with shingles. The window openings are rectangular with flat smoothed lintels (beams over a doorway) and sills. The barn doors are simple, shallow arched lintels. The limestone is rubble stone masonry with smooth quoin blocks at the corners.

Did You Know?

Smoke tornadoes created from spring prairie burns at the preserve.

Kansas is tied with Florida for 3rd place in most number of tornadoes per year.  This tornado is actually a "smoke devil" spawned from annual spring prairie burns at the preserve. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve