Hosmer Dairy Farm Historic District

What is Hosmer Dairy Farm Historic District?

The district is small and focused. The dairy barn is the star: a wood-frame bank barn set on a foundation of limestone blocks, with two silos attached; the silos are the easiest feature to spot from a distance. A bank barn is built into a slope, so animals and wagons can reach more than one level from the ground.

The second historic building is a horse barn of the same age. Together they show how a working dairy farm was laid out in the early 1900s. The setting matters too: this is the rolling Ozark farm country that Route 66 crossed on its way west toward Springfield.

History of Hosmer Dairy Farm Historic District

Both barns date to around 1900. The farm is sometimes known as Walnut Springs Farm. It earned National Register status in 1996 as a historic district, with the dairy barn and the horse barn counted as its two contributing buildings.

Visiting Hosmer Dairy Farm Historic District: tips

This is a farm, not a museum. The facts do not confirm public access, so view the barns from the public road and respect private property. A brief stop for photos of the barn and silos is plenty.

The Baker Observatory is under 3 miles away, making an easy two-stop loop through the countryside before you head on to Springfield. The Holman ghost town site is about 6 miles off, and the old Boegel and Hine mill in Fair Grove is about 7 miles.