Join Jim and Mary Dierberg as they celebrate the grand opening of Hermann Farm’s new stone barn on Sat., Nov. 13 at 10am. Mr. Dierberg will lead the event with remarks, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony. Light refreshments will be served and guests will be offered tours of the barn and have a chance to meet the barn’s resident Shire horses.

The stone barn is a unique 12,000 square foot venue designed to house our endangered Shire draft horses and also serve as an event space. It was constructed from three 18th century barns from Pennsylvania, which ties back to Hermann’s founders, the Germans who settled Hermann in 1837 thanks to the work of the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia. 

The barn is designed in the German Barn style with no center post. Fifty-five-foot tall hemlock posts flank the barn’s center hall and go from the lower floor through the second floor to the roof. The barn’s stone walls are approximately two feet thick and consist of 23 tractor-trailer loads of limestone. The nine stalls on the lower level house our Shires, the largest draft horse breed in the world. 

The Kallmeyer family owned what is now Hermann Farm for about a century and during that time they bred and trained mules as well as draft horses, sending hundreds of them to help in the effort during both World Wars. Today, we honor that history through breeding and training Shires, an endangered breed with a population of less than 1,500 left in the world. Visitors to Hermann Farm are able to interact with the Shires and learn about their history. Now, they have a new home here at the stone barn, a fitting space for these majestic gentle giants.

In addition to housing the Shires, the barn will serve as an event and gallery space, one that serves to connect our community through a variety of experiences. The space is a vibrant addition to the Missouri River Valley region and we look forward to sharing it for years to come.