John S. and Elizabeth Beem Holmes Barn

The John S. and Elizabeth Beem Holmes Barn is a historic building located on a farm southwest of St. Charles, Iowa, United States. The Holmes' settled in Madison County in 1854 from Indiana. Their initial 40 acre farm eventually expanded to a 350 acre. John Holmes farmed, raised livestock, and held several local offices in the community. This building is a fine example of a vernacular limestone farm building. The 1½-story structure is composed of large blocks of locally quarried finished cut stone. It is equivalent in height to a three-story building. There was an attempt some time ago to stucco the structure in order to preserve the stone, however, a storm a few hours after it was applied washed most of it off. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.