De Turk Round Barn
Why it's listed
Built in 1891, this two-story round barn at 819 Donahue Street in Santa Rosa was commissioned by winemaker Isaac De Turk to house his champion trotting horses. Builder Thomas J. Ludwig framed it with posts and beams, clad it in redwood shiplap siding, and topped it with a conical shingled roof, a vented cupola and a copper weathervane of a trotting horse. The barn measures 76 feet across, with radiating stalls around the ground floor and an open center rising to a hayloft. After De Turk died in 1896 it passed through several owners and served as the city corporation yard from 1910 to 1984. The city bought it back in 1996, repaired the exterior in 1998 and turned the site into a park. It is considered significant as an architectural rarity: one of a handful of nineteenth-century round or polygonal barns remaining in Northern California, and possibly the only true round barn left in the state. Its interior remains in poor condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the barn is significant under Criterion C (Architecture) as one of very few nineteenth-century round or polygonal barns left in Northern California. It is one of two such barns in Sonoma County and appears to be the only remaining round barn in California. A 1981 letter from the State Historic Preservation Officer called it one of the last of its type in California and probably in the western United States.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 04000334, listed April 21, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 819 Donahue St., Santa Rosa |
|---|---|
| County | Sonoma County |
| Listed | April 21, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000334 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891 |
| Architect / builder | Ludwig, Thomas J. (builder) |
| Architectural style | OTHER: Round Barn |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant/not in use. The city repaired the roof and exterior in 1998, but the interior shows dampness, temporary posts and braces support the hayloft, and much interior siding has been removed. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 38.44095, -122.72506 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 04000334.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5244775
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.