Dancing in the hayloft

RED WING — Ten years ago, Kirk Stensrud and his wife, Wendy, were restless. The couple — whose children had moved out and left them empty nesters — lived and worked in the Twin Cities. Yet, they found themselves wanting to do something different, especially during their golden years.

That something different turned out to be owning and managing a 112-year-old historic round barn, which doubles as a gathering space and dance floor, along with a 3-story farmhouse that serves as a bed and breakfast — complete on 35 acres of sprawling fields, hills and woodlands.

“We stayed at the B&B for our anniversary and really enjoyed the property,” Stensrud said. “We met the then owners, Robin and Elaine Kleffman, and they were hoping to retire and sell, so one thing led to another, and here we are.”

Built in 1914 by Henry and Mary Dammon, the original purpose of the 60-foot by 60-foot Dammon Round Barn near Red Wing was to house dairy cows. The barns were primarily built between 1880 and 1920 but are no longer popular. Back then, though, farmers preferred this design as it offered better wind resistance and required fewer building materials.

The initial ground level contained 20 cow stanchions, several horse stalls and a calving pen. The upper level, or loft, was used to store hay and park machinery and wagons. Additionally, a silo in the middle of the barn provided storage for silage while making feeding and cleaning more efficient. The barn was also built into the side of a hill, meaning both the lower level and loft could be accessed at ground level.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Earl Grifith, a beekeeper, used the barn for honey production. According to Stensrud, barrels of honey were stored in the basement. The barn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The Kleffmans were the next owners, purchasing the property in 2000.

“The barn was in some disrepair at that point, but they just loved it,” Stensrud said. “They wanted to restore the barn and to start a bed and breakfast, so they tore down the old farmhouse and built a brand-new B&B.”

The Dammon Round Barn underwent significant restorations under the Kleffmans’ care. Due to a storm in the ’80s, the barn’s walls, which were leaning, needed to be straightened. A new roof was installed along with the loft floor. The original pillars for the upper level were replaced as well.

The Kleffmans then passed ownership of Round Barn Farm to the Stensruds in 2017, who now utilize the property as a wedding venue and bed and breakfast.

Today, there are fewer than 50 round barns in Minnesota, with the Dammon Round Barn being the only one in Goodhue County. Stensrud said he enjoys meeting and speaking to guests, especially those with personal memories and connections to the property.

“I met an older gentleman one day who talked about how he and his cousin shot a .22 rifle up into the cupola, and I got my binoculars out, and yep, that bullet hole was still there,” Stensrud said.

The Stensruds made their own improvements to the property over the years, including installing new roofs on both the barn and farmhouse while refinishing the upstairs dance floor. The couple also installed heated floors, water, air conditioning, bathrooms and a bar on the ground level of the barn.

In addition, a portion of the limestone foundation had started to bulge and sink.

“That was what was holding our dance floor up, so we had to redo a 20-foot section of wall down to the foundation and build it back up,” Stensrud said. “Fortunately, we have a business reason to maintain the barn.”

Many standing round barns are not structurally sound, Stensrud said. For most small farms and local families, the cost of repairs outweighs the benefits. Most also have no incentive to save the crumbling building.

“For us, we get that satisfaction, and we’re able to maintain it for a reason and get to share it with people,” he said. “It’s so strange and so beautiful and unique, so it’s fun that we’re able to maintain that history and keep it up for generations of people who have never seen a dairy cow before.”

Round Barn Farm primarily hosts weddings but also celebrates a wide variety of moments and events, including birthday parties, anniversaries, bridal showers, bachelorette or bachelor parties, babymoons and more.

Wedding celebrations can have up to 299 guests, with various locations on the grounds to be used for ceremonies. A modern pavilion, which sits next to the round barn, can be used for reception dinners. The barn itself can be used for happy hour, after-ceremony cocktails and dances.

The country manor, serving as a bed and breakfast, has five suites that include gas stoves or fireplaces, jacuzzi tubs and scenic sights. Breakfast and coffee are served in the morning, with in-room massages available. Guests can also explore the property’s grounds or the nearby town of Red Wing during the day.

“We couldn’t do it all without some helpers along the way,” Stensrud said. “We maintain the bed and breakfast, and I’ve got some folks who help us do housekeeping. We’ve got people who help us pull some weeds and mow the lawn.”

The Strensruds also have an employee, Dorothy, who assists with social media, marketing, event scheduling, wedding management, and bride and groom follow-ups.

Throughout the past decade, Stensrud said he and Wendy have hosted hundreds of weddings. But there is one that sticks out the most: their own daughter’s.

“My daughter got married here during the pandemic; she ended up getting married twice due to all the restrictions,” he said. “We had one wedding early that summer with about 40 people, and then, we had another bigger celebration in late August once some of those restrictions were lifted — we really got to use the different spaces.”

Stensrud said he hopes every guest that visits Round Barn Farm has a unique experience with their friends and family.

“During off-season in the wintertime, people are coming, and they’ll rent out all five of our overnight rooms to just play games or tuck away in some of the rooms, read a book and have some nice time with family and friends — just rent out the whole place,” he said. “It’s a great little getaway to de-stress, relax and be out in the country.”

In the future, the Stensruds have plans to keep maintaining the property and bettering it for the next generations.

“We’ve done a lot of major improvements that we had hoped for in terms of getting it ready so that we could host events, so it’s great right now,” Stensrud said. “We’re just going to enjoy the property as we have it now and think about our exit strategy someday.”