Description of Historic Place

The Feed Mill at Bar U Ranch, otherwise known as Building No. 3, is rectangular, a single-storey building with high side-walls and a medium pitch gabled roof. A windowed tower structure projects from the eastern slope of the roof and a garage wing projects from the eastern side of the building. Access doors are on each elevation. The exterior wall surfaces are red with white trim and variously sheathed with bevelled siding and shiplap. The Feed Mill is the first building encountered upon entering the headquarters site from the public road. It is located on a flat grassy area in the rangelands in the foothills of the Rockies. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Feed Mill is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical value:
This building is an excellent example of the national theme of ranching in Alberta, and its importance in the development of Canada. As part of the Bar U Ranch Complex, the Feed Mill is associated with numerous events and people that contributed to the development of ranching in Canada. It is believed that the original structure was built to process and store grain for the horses in the nearby Stud Horse and Mare Barn. As the ranch developed, the gas powered mill was added. The structure is also associated with George Lane, a prominent Alberta cattleman who was hired at Bar U Ranch in 1884 to serve as the ranch foreman and who ran the ranch between 1902 and 1925. An elevator system for transferring grain to storage bins was installed during Patrick Burns subsequent ownership, reflecting his interest in efficiency and economy.

Architectural value:
The Feed Mill is a very good example of the agricultural building type used at ranches in the Prairies during the early 1900s. Its value lies in its functional design and form, simple massing, common construction details, and exterior finish. The building incorporates good quality materials and craftsmanship. The Feed Mill’s functional design is characteristic of the buildings erected at the Bar U Ranch and complements the other early structures in the vicinity. Built of heavy construction to withstand the outward thrust of the grain, the exterior of the mill clearly reflects its functional purposes as exemplified by the head tower which houses the elevator system.

Environmental value:
The Feed Mill is part of a cohesive complex of buildings arranged to great functional effect in a simple and beautiful natural setting. The Feed Mill contributes greatly to the character of the Bar U Ranch. This landmark value is reinforced by the designation of the complex as a national historic site of Canada.

Sources:
Edward Mills, Historic Bar U Ranch Headquarters, Longview, Alberta. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 92-017; Feed Mill (Building 3), Bar U Ranch, Longview, Alberta, Heritage Character Statement 92-017.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Feed Mill should be respected.

Its agricultural building type and good quality materials and craftsmanship as manifested in:
- the distinctive profile provided by the medium pitch gabled roof and projecting tower structure;
- the light timber structural system;
- the external horizontal bracing beams and connecting cables;
- the elevator system;
- the distribution box within the tower;
- the feed mill and bins;
- the exterior cladding of bevelled siding;
- the interior walls of shiplap;
- the red and white colour scheme.

The manner in which the building reinforces the character and setting of the Bar U Ranch.