About

The Blois Family & Round Barn Farm

The Blois Family

Beau and Laura Blois and their three children, Isaac, Arlo, and Molly have enjoyed owning and maintaining the property since 2010. Beau and Laura both grew up in small, rural communities and they knew that the RBF would be the perfect place to raise their children and create a space for community to gather.

It has truly been a labour of love as they spent several years and countless hours dedicated to restoring the heritage barn.

The History of Round Barn Farm

Built in 1886, the Round Barn is one of only two old round barns left in Nova Scotia and today is still part of a working Black Angus beef farm. Valued not only for its architectural significance, the Round Barn is also a unique venue for concerts, weddings, and private events.

Timeline

Built around 1886 by farmer Samuel James Kent, the design of the Round Barn was based on the principles of Orson Squire Fowler, a nineteenth-century phrenologist and social activist. Fowler believed that buildings of round shape would contribute to the owner’s mental and emotional well-being. It is believed that while travelling elsewhere in the province, Kent had seen the octagonal plan and decided to employ this form in a barn of his own.

In 1912, the property left the Kent family and went through several owners until Amos J. Yuill bought it in 1931 and it remained in the ownership of his descendants until bought by Beau and Laura Blois in 2010.

Originally, the cattle stalls were on the main floor, along the perimeter of the building. In the centre, and along one side, there was the scaffolding that served as a hay mow. The Yuills moved the cattle stalls to the ground floor, beneath the barn. They also built small, one-storey additions at two corners. The main part of the barn could then be used for the storage of hay in its entirety. At one time there was a windmill, located on top of the barn, which was used to pump water for the farm, and which was removed many years ago. The Round Barn is still part of a larger Beef farming operation today. The Round Barn was renovated during a 7-year project that allowed for a new floor and new wood siding of hemlock as well as a new cupola with windows on all sides.

The original image of the barn, with windmill and minus the corner additions and metal siding, must have been quite arresting for the unfamiliar traveller along the Old Barn Road. Even today, with these changes, the impact of seeing this large and uncommon architectural form in a country pasture remains strong and dramatic.