Reconsidering the Roulette Barn

Abstract

The Roulette Farm’s iconic bank barn is currently underutilized and endangered. The National Park Service has assigned a narrow period of significance to the property and barn, tying its significance solely to the American Civil War and overlooking its broader history as a center of agricultural production. The structure had fallen into disrepair before being repaired with modern building materials, and is missing key features of its original construction. The barn’s untapped potential warrants structural repairs, a full restoration to its original condition, and a rethinking of its interpretive uses. This analysis develops a preservation plan to assess the history, significance, and condition of the Roulette Barn. The plan also considers the barn’s construction methods, addresses its historic integrity and how the barn’s narrow period of significance and interpretation methods have impacted historic integrity, suggests new interpretive possibilities, and recommends necessary repairs and maintenance requirements that would lead to the restoration of the structure. Expanding consideration of the barn’s significance to include its place in the agricultural history of the region provides an opportunity to realize a more complete interpretation and increase its value as a historic resource.