The Round Barn was built in 1880 and was originally used to house calves and livestock feed. In 1950 the land was purchased by George and Maja Adolfson.  George was a farm boy from Sweden and came to the US when he was young.  He was glad to be back on the farm again!

Dairy Farming

Their farm consisted mainly of dairy cows ranging from 25-50 milking cows and some crop land.  The large extension added to the barn was actually moved up here from Minneapolis by truck! They hired married couples to help manage the farm and they lived in a round house built on the property that was similar in shape to the barn.  George and Maja lived in the farm house with their 5 children, and Maja’s mother lived in a house across the driveway.

At one point, the Round Barn was used as an auction house for the cows. The current furnace room was referred to the “cow shower,” where they washed off the cows before they brought them in to auction them off.  Later, the barn was cleared out and Maja started selling antiques in the barn, while the floors were still dirt! The Barn has continued on since then as a shop.

Maja had made it known to her husband and family she never wanted to leave the farm.  When it came time for her to need assisted living, the family decided to build something on the farm so she wouldn’t need to leave the place she loved so much.  The family sponsored a “competition” for building a senior housing development. The construction firm George owned, Adolfson Peterson Construction (which is still running today and some of George and Maja’s grandchildren are still with the company) built the Farmstead, leaving one piece of the farm standing as the inspiration for the architectural design. The Round Barn was chosen to stay and is the last remaining piece of the original farm.

Andover’s Premier Shopping Experience

The Barn has been in business as an antique and gift shop for over 30 years, with four different owners through the years. On November 7, 2015, the store reopened as the Round Barn Trading Company under the fourth owners, Dennis and Julie Davis.

Find out more about the Barn products, vendors, and mission by reading our Artisan Information page.

The Next Adventure

On January 12, 2018 the Davis’ added to what they lovingly call their “barn collection” by purchasing the Historic Erickson Farmstead. The Farmstead is a wedding and event venue located in Isanti, Minnesota. Find out more about how Erickson Farmstead can support your small business, host your next family event, or inspire you to greater creativity by visiting the website here: www.ericksonfarmstead.com