Rare barn in Waldron again on Most Endangered list

Indiana Landmarks announced the 10 Most Endangered, an annual list of Hoosier landmarks in jeopardy.

The list includes a rare polygonal barn in Shelby County; a historic Black social club; a picturesque one-room school; a popular high school fieldhouse; a rugged reminder of the industrial revolution; an early tribute to higher education; a historic Springs Valley hotel; a covered bridge; a classic high school gymnasium; and a threatened turn-of-the-century neighborhood.

In Shelby County, the 12-sided Rudicel-Montgomery Polygonal Barn is a repeat entry on this year’s 10 Most Endangered list.

Between 1850 and 1936, 67 polygonal barns were built in Indiana, prized for their efficiency and cost-effective design before round barns eventually outpaced them in popularity. In 1910, George Rudicel worked with local carpenters Roy and Earl Henderson to build a polygonal barn, using the lower level to pen livestock and the upper level to store hay and straw. Today, the barn is vacant and believed to be one of a dwindling number of polygonal barns that still dot Indiana’s rural landscape. Though its appearance on the 10 Most Endangered list last year attracted admiration and interest in rehabilitating the site, it needs significant investment.

In 2024, Indiana Landmarks, Indiana Barn Foundation, and Shelby County’s Blue River Community Foundation funded a study by a timber restoration specialist to assess the barn’s condition and rehabilitation needs, estimated to range from $80,000 for stabilization to $125,000 for full restoration. The community foundation has announced plans to support fundraising for the Rudicel-Montgomery Polygonal Barn, but until full funding is secured, the barn’s future remains precarious.

“Indiana Landmarks uses its 10 Most Endangered list in several ways. Sometimes it serves an educational role. It functions as an advocacy tool. And it can assist in raising funds needed to save a place,” says Brad Ward, president of the nonprofit preservation organization. “Each endangered place tells a distinct story, and each faces its own set of challenges. In all cases, when an endangered place lands on our list, we commit to seeking solutions that lead to rescue and revitalization,” he adds.

The 10 Most Endangered in 2025 include the following places:

• College Hall, Merom Camp & Retreat Center, Merom
• Emily Kimbrough Historic District, Muncie
• Kiwanis Field, La Porte
• Mineral Springs Hotel, Paoli
• Rudicel-Montgomery Polygonal Barn, Waldron
• Shields Memorial Gymnasium, Seymour
• Sollman School, Snake Run (near Fort Branch)
• Sposeep & Sons Building, Wabash
• Traders Point Covered Bridge, Indianapolis
• West Side Recreation Club, South Bend

Since the list was introduced in 1991, demolition has claimed only 21 of the 172 Most Endangered sites, while 105 places are completely restored or no longer endangered.

To find out more about each of the 10 Most Endangered, visit www.indianalandmarks.org .