The Pelster Housebarn
A Symbol of Lasting German-American Craftsmanship in Franklin County, Missouri
What is a Housebarn?
A housebarn is defined as a structure that combines a house and barn into a single residence, where cattle, agricultural supplies, and a family all reside under one roof. Originating from the “Old World” tradition, housebarns are a common sight to see in European countries, such as Holland, Germany, France, and more. However, they are a rarity in America, despite the mass rates of immigration from Europe throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
Housebarns are a unique occurrence in American settlements for multiple reasons. Firstly, immigrants in the frontier usually built them as solely temporary structures. Secondly, housebarns were not as advantageous in America as they were in Europe. Europeans commonly employed this multi-purpose style in order to save money on land and construction costs, which was not as pertinent of an issue in Missouri, where the property was abundant and inexpensive in comparison.
Gottfried Duden’s Report illustrates how homesteaders in Missouri were, “settling next to charming hills, near never-failing springs, on banks of small rivers… [all] without taking the price into consideration.”
The Pelster Housebarn
Out of only a few dozen housebarns remaining in America, the Pelster housebarn is by far the most remarkable. This historical building is located in the heart of the “Rhineland” in Franklin County, Missouri. It was built by Frederich Wilhelm (William) Pester, a German immigrant who arrived in America with his family in 1842 from Hannover, Northern Germany. The exact year the structure was built is unknown, but oral tradition indicates it was constructed at the beginning of the Civil War and was finished only after it was over.
Specifically, the construction and use of the Pelster housebarn are what make it stand out. In contrast to temporary German housebarns found in places like Minnesota and Nebraska, Pelster’s was occupied for generations to come. While other immigrant families abandoned their housebarns for separate American-style dwellings, the Pelster family held onto this conservative tradition. Additionally, the techniques he employed shine a light on the Pelster family’s lasting German heritage.
Housebarn Construction
William Pelster built the housebarn using a variety of Old World and American techniques. Most notably, he used a half-timbering architectural style common in Germany called Fachwerkbau. Another traditional method Pelster used was roman numeral carvings in the frame of the bearings in order to mark where they belonged in the structure during building.
On the other hand, Pelster also included distinctly American features that are not usually seen in housebarns. Components such as hillside siting, weatherboarding, a visible porch, and a gabled wagon entrance diverged from German-style in order to adapt to American culture and Missouri’s unique climate.
Conclusion
The Pelster housebarn and the story behind the family who built it are an important part of German-American Heritage in Missouri. In the way that a housebarn combines a house and barn, the Pelster family was also able to incorporate their German architectural and agricultural traditions in the context of the new Mid-Western setting.
