Explore Niobrara: The Red Barn

The iconic red barn between Lusk and Manville sadly succumbed to the Wyoming winds last week. It had been a fixture in Niobrara County since 1928.

Christen Larsen and his family built the barn into the hillside. They hauled sand and gravel from a hill four miles north of Manville for cement and reinforced it with local rocks. The two-story barn was 80 feet by 36 feet and built entirely by hand. It was originally used for milk cows, horses, hay, and feed. In later years, the upper floor housed a planing mill that had been moved from Bloedorn Lumber in Lusk. Locals remember also having square dances in the barn.