This octagon shaped barn in the Town of
Grafton is now owned bv the Tetzlaff family, but is was
erected by Ernest Clausing 100 years ago. It is believed
that Clausing erected 14 of these barns in the southern
end of Ozaukee County, all within one mile of the Lake
Michigan shoreline. One of the 14 was dismantled and
moved to Old World Wisconsin
several
 years ago. This one is located on Lake Shore
Road, another on Pioneer Road, about 2 miles to the
southwest and another is located several miles west of
Cedarburg on Western Road in the Town of Jackson.
The Tetzlaffs call their farm
"Octagon Farms". They raise llamas, alpacas and
emus. The old milkhouse has become a retail store and
tours of the working barn are given.
The architectural design of the barn is
Dutch and German The eight walls of the barn made the
structure capable of withstanding the fierce winds off
nearby Lake Michigan. Each of the eight walls is 26 feet
wide and 20 feet high. The barn has 3,200 square feet of
floor space. The top of the cupola stands 60 feet above
ground level.
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