POLK COUNTY, Iowa — It’s been in view for 170 years.
“I think it’s a local landmark for a lot of people,” says Anna Moeckly of her family’s stunning red barn between Polk City and Ankeny.
While the barn has gotten old, hearing the story of the Moecklys never has.
“They were on their way to California for the gold rush,” Anna says, “and this is where they landed.”
Swiss immigrant Conrad Moeckly decided his future was more certain here in the Iowa soil. Eight generations later, his family and his farm are still together.
“I feel small compared to them and what they did back in the 1850s,” says current owner, Tyler Moeckly, “you know breaking the prairie and actually building this building — it would have been amazing.”
The towering horse barn is a testament to the skill and concern of his ancestors. And it’s all still there. The hand-hewn boards, the stones picked from the surrounding fields, the beams harvested from nearby woods have their bark still intact.
“If you only look at the outside of a barn,” says Dave Austin of the Iowa Barn Foundation, “you’re missing the most important part.”
Austin and the Foundation are dedicated to preserving these so called “cathedrals of the prairie.”
Iowa Libertarian candidates will be left off ballot, Supreme Court rules “From 1880 to the 1940s,” Austin explains, “200,000 were built in Iowa. We’re down to less than 40,000 left standing and we’re losing about 1,000 a year. So it’s more important than ever that we get people out and engage all generations.”
The Foundation will hold its biggest tour ever this weekend. 92 barns across the state. 11 of them round barns — the rarest and most unique in Iowa.
In the central region tour (there are nine different regions) the Moeckly barn will be one of the highlights, looking sharper than it has in decades.
“They slowly started working on some of the foundation,” says Anna, “as you can tell, after 170 years it needed some love. So they went around and they tried to fix some beams and then we decided she needed a paint job and there’s still more to be done.”
The Moecklys will be on hand to tell the stories of this local treasure — so many of its pieces still on-hand and in place.
“So the most important part of the barn tour,” Austin says, “is when the families are here to engage visitors. They talk about the history, they share the history. Otherwise it’s just a building.”
On the far edge of the farm lies the family cemetery. Conrad Moeckly and his descendants remain tied to the land. And perhaps their spirits will stir this weekend. As this family takes pride in and gives thanks for a past and present still joined together.
The Iowa Barn Foundation tour runs this Saturday and Sunday across Iowa. It is free to attend. You can find more information at www.iowabarnfoundation.org
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