Joseph Hermance Carlin
1869 - 1923
Louden Design # 5333
Our Barn is from a kit from the Louden Machinery Company, cow stanchions, pulleys and railings with the Louden Logo have been identified.
The Dairy Barn at Buhlow Lake
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The Dairy Barn was completed in 1923. The barn was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 15, 1986. The Central Louisiana State Hospital Dairy Barn is of statewide significance in the area of architecture as a very unusual example of a farm outbuilding. The building is a 12,500 square foot structure, which was officially opened in 1923 at a cost of $15,736. The barn is a two-story frame structure with single story wings. It has a commanding position atop a knoll overlooking Lake Buhlow, which at the time of the barn’s construction was a large grazing pasture for the cattle. Cattle were herded from the barn to the pasture through a tunnel under the old Highway 71.
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Builder was Joseph Carlin, an architect who was a former patient that remained on staff after his successful treatment. He also designed and built the Rose Cottage as a pathological laboratory, later mortuary, now a museum. Joseph Hermance Carlin died November 28, 1923 at the age of 54, shortly after the dairy barn was completed. According to his Catholic death record, he died of lobar pneumonia. His body was taken by train to Rayne Louisiana. He was buried at St-Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery. Unfortunately, his grave cannot be found.
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Dairy operations ceased at that location in the late 1950's due to the building of Lake Buhlow and moved to Grant Parish. Since then the Barn has mainly been used for storage and most recently was the painting shop, although it is essentially unused today.
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In 1986 it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
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In the 1990's Tudor Construction was contracted to stabalize the building because it was feared it was in danger of collapsing. Laminated beams were made to replace 10 of the original curved beams that support the roof, and steel tension bars were placed horizontally throughout the loft's interior for extra reinforcement.
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In 2009 it was chosen by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the most endangered historic sites in the state of LA.
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In 2012 the State of LA announced plans to relocate CLSH to a new facility near Pinecrest. However, funding is in Priority 5, which means the timeline is uncertain.
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Many people have talked about ideas for the barn and how it should be saved. But nothing concrete had taken place.