Round Barn Capital of the World in Rochester, Indiana

Your typical barn employs a rectangular shape, with various styles of roofing. However, rectangular barns use material inefficiently; a round design allows a larger area to be enclosed by the same amount of siding. By the early 20th century, round barns were faster, cheaper, and easier to build than rectangular barns, while land-grant colleges like Purdue University heralded them as the future of agriculture.