Built in 1925, Plagman Barn turns 100 years old in 2025!
Back in 1923 Bill Plagman (pronounced “plowman”) decided to build a 40 x 136-foot-long balloon frame barn. This type of frame has no support poles inside, which back in that era, was a very unusual design. Bill wanted the barn built to hold dances. Well needless to say Bill got some people shaking their heads or having a good laugh.
The barn was finished in 1925 and the first dance was September 11, 1925. The Barn hosted some well known bands in its day, such as Duke Ellington and a young Lawrence Welk getting his start in a polka band. (The admission was 36 cents back then.)
Since it was the only social outlet at that time, it drew lots of people to come dance and drink some ‘hooch.” It was the period of prohibition during the Depression era, so there was a lot of bootlegging going on back then..
The last dance was held in1939 and that was a wedding dance and the Jolly Ridge Hillbillies played for the event.
Then the barn went through different owners and little by little the barn began to deteriorate and was mostly used for storage and hay.
Then in 1982, the new organization, Northeastern Iowa Farm & Antique Association bought the barn and started the renovation, inside and out.The idea was to turn the Barn into a museum to hold antique machinery and household goods of the 1920’s to 1950’s time periods.
To generate funds members and volunteers worked hard to get the barn fixed up for the dance held Sunday, August 5, 1982.
The first “Show Days” was held on September 11, 1982 and so it began….
