The Most Beautiful Historic Barns in Sonoma
From melon and hop barns to a popular wedding venue, make a day trip to explore these historic buildings in Sonoma County.
Dream Weddings—DeTurk Round Barn: A treasure of Santa Rosa’s city park system, this truly round 1891 barn in the West End was once home to champion racehorses. It has crisp white clapboard siding and a classic shingled roof, and is open to visitors each Wednesday—or you can rent it out for a charming wedding. 819 Donahue St., Santa Rosa. 707-543-3733, srcity.org
Homegrown Hero—Crane Melon Barn: It doesn’t get more classic Sonoma than this. September is Crane melon season, and the circa-1868 redwood barn, which once was used to put up livestock and feed, is now a farmstand selling the beloved local melons and other local produce. Call ahead for hours; the melons can sell out. 4935 Petaluma Hill Rd., Santa Rosa. 707795-6987, cranemelon.com
Stunning Stonework—Landmark’s Hop Kilns: Hops were once big business in the county. The trio of tall, pyramid-shaped stone silos were used to dry hops before the crop was baled and shipped to make beer. These days, the barns anchor a winery dedicated to organic Russian River Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 6050 Westside Road, Healdsburg. 707-433-6491, landmarkwine.com
Ahead of Their Time—Jack London State Park Barns: The author and passionate farmer once wrote, “Do you realize I devote two hours a day to writing, and ten to farming?” The early 1900s structures at his Beauty Ranch include a palatial home for pigs (state of the art for its time), a stone stallion barn, and a distillery. 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen. 707-938-5216, jacklondonpark.com (Sarah Deragon)
Classic Brick-Red—Martinelli Winery Hop Barn: There’s something so fall-like about the warm, brick-red color of the Martinelli hop barn, which appears on every bottle of the winery’s celebrated Pinot and Chardonnay. A terraced outdoor tasting area overlooks the barn, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Russian River Valley. 3360 River Rd., Windsor. 707-5250570, martinelliwinery.com
Saved from Demolition—Tierra Vegetables Barn: Tierra’s beautiful whitewashed barn was once slated to be torn down, but instead, siblings Lee and Wayne James relocated it to a 20-acre ranch near Highway 101, where they grow their famous chile peppers and strawberries. Earlier this summer, locals raised $70,000 to help replace a damaged well, a testament to the love they have for this traditional family farm. 651 Airport Blvd., Santa Rosa. 707-544-6141, tierravegetables.com
Tierra Vegetables barn, Thursday Oct. 2, 2014 in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat)