Rotunda Mystery Solved!

For a number of years there has been speculation about exactly when the iconic round barn, often referred to as the Rotunda, located on the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster, Ohio was built.

Wonder no longer, it was 1912.

The general consensus for the building hovered around the time period between 1886 and 1900. However, a simple review of, Caldwell's Atlas of Wayne Co. and of the city of Wooster, Ohio, shows that the Wayne County Agricultural Society did not lease/own the land on the south-side of the creek that runs through the fairgrounds during this time period. Further research revealed that it was not until the year 1900 that the Agricultural Society gained access to the land on south-side of the creek. So, the earliest the Rotunda could have been built was 1900, but there were only three documented buildings built that year: a new Grandstand (located where it is today), a new Judges Stand in the infield of the racetrack, and a new Art Hall.

For a while, some people thought the Art Hall must have been what they called the round barn back then, as the Art Hall was primarily used to house the displays of women: needlework, textiles, art, etc., just like the Rotunda is being used for nowadays, during the fair. However, for many years the Rotunda was also known as the "Grange" and there even used to be a little sign, GRANGE, hanging on the building, so that name did not fit with the idea of use by early local women. Furthermore, there was never any mention of the Art Hall being round. Conclusion: the Rotunda was not built in 1900.

The next structure built on the south-side of the creek was the new Exposition Hall built in 1907 for use by county manufacturers and merchants. The structure was to be ornamental (front and roof) and plans called for it to be 100 feet in length, 32 feet wide, and 12 feet high. Definitely not round.

Next came the new Poultry Barn built in 1908 that was shaped like a Maltese Cross. A picture of this barn hangs in the Agricultural Society's Secretary's office, and is all that remains of this structure. Again not round.

The Wayne County Agricultural Society's building projects of 1909 involved new Horse Barns. While i could find no mention of the size or shape for these new horse barns, this likely refers to the large cross-shaped Draft Horse Barns we still have to this day. Again not round.

This brings us to 1912 when local newspapers report bids being taken from contractors to build two new barns on the Fairgrounds: a new Hog/Swine Barn, and something referred to as both an Agricultural Barn or a Horticultural Barn at the time.

The new Hog Barn was contracted to Abraham Deneke, for $1,344 and was to be completed by the middle of August 1912. The new Agricultural/Horticultural building, was also eventually contracted to Deneke, as a news story dated July 3, 1912 reported that while Deneke and men working for him erecting the Horticultural building at the fairgrounds, were stunned by a flash of lightning. When the storm broke they had taken refuge in another building with a steel roof and that building was struck by lightning and the men were all affected but not seriously.

Which brings us to the 1912 news story reproduced below, that clearly states that the new Agricultural building is 82 feet in diameter! A structure having a diameter can only mean it was round! Furthermore the building was described as having room for 16 booths along the sides, one for each township, which also fits with the long used term of "Grange" for the Rotunda.

Mystery solved: the Rotunda, round barn, was built in 1912.