Cattle Barns
1904 - 1941
| | Architect: Thomas Bast Contractor: T. H. Johnson | |
The earliest cattle barn, the Shorthorn Barn, was built in 1904 to replace barns destroyed by fire. The barn has round arched entrances accented by pilasters enclosing a decorative brick parapet.
The 1905 Hereford Barn uses pilasters that extend above the roof line.
Another barn, the Guernsey Barn, was built in 1905. This 60' by 160' barn has round arched entrances highlighted by pilasters joined by a corbelled flat arch. Palladian windows decorated with hood molds accent the gables and the side facades.
The Donnell Building, or "Junior Activities Barn," was designed by Arthur Schwarz and built in 1941 for livestock shown by FFA and 4-H members.
Erected by Missouri State Fair Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals • Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.
Location. 38° 41.739′ N, 93° 15.535′ W. Marker is in Sedalia, Missouri, in Pettis County. It can be reached from West 16th Street. Marker and building are on the Missouri State Fairgrounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2503 West 16th Street,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Missouri River Corridor. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Coliseum (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Cattle Barns (about 400 feet away); Womans Building (about 500 feet away); Historic Administration Building (about 800 feet away); Family Fun Center (approx. 0.2 miles away); Commercial Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Home Economics Building (approx. Ό mile away); The Merci Boxcar (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sedalia.
Also see . . .
1. Missouri State Fairgrounds Historic District. National Register of Historic Places
2. Missouri State Fair History Summary. Fair website entry (Submitted on July 5, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 564 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 5, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
