The round barns have been a fixture in Vernon County for almost a century. But those who treasure them as remnants of a unique period in the county’s past say the barns face an uncertain future.

In the mid-1990s, June Pedretti documented 16 round barns in co-authoring the book “Round Barns of Vernon County,Wisconsin: A Circle Tour.” Four have since been felled by wind, fire or demolition.

She fears what might happen to the remaining 12 round barns. “Six of the 12 are in good shape,” Pedretti said.

Earlier this year, the state Historical Society of Wisconsin named the region’s round barns to its annual list of Wisconsin’s 10 most-endangered historical sites.

Unfortunately, no funding is available in Wisconsin, other than federal and state tax credits, for those who want to restore or preserve the barns, supporters said.

The Schmidts and Sebraneks both have kept their barns in working condition. Don Schmidt said he, his wife and two sons use their barn for milking a combined herd of 72 cows. Over the years, they’ve installed a pipeline milking system, put on a new roof and reworked the foundation. As with any barn, “if you don’t maintain it, you’ll lose it,” Don Schmidt said. Sebranek’s grandfather acquired their barn in 1958. Sebranek, who has a full-time manufacturing job, now raises calves in the building for extra money. He recently spent almost $7,000 on roof repairs.

Nine states established barn preservation programs in the mid-1990s. In Iowa, the Iowa Barn Foundation provides matching grants to help preserve buildings 50 years old or older.

In Wisconsin, a coalition of groups — including the UW-Extension, the State Historical Society and Barns Now! — hold workshops and provide technical information for property owners. But unlike Iowa, the grants aren’t there.

Why preserve such barns? Because they trace back to a unique community of migrants from North Carolina and Indiana — mostly “free persons of color” whosettled in Wisconsin from the 1850s through the 1870s, said historian Eric J. Wheeler of La Crosse. He has spent the past year working with the Cheyenne Valley Heritage committee, based in Hillsboro, WI. Most of the round barns are located in the surrounding Kickapoo Valley area.

The round barns became a feature in eastern Vernon County through Alga “Algie” Shivers, a native of the Cheyenne Valley settlement — his father had been born on a plantation — who probably picked up the concept at a Missouri technical school. In the early 1900s, Shivers supervised construction of at least 15 round barns in the region.

Round barns fell out of favor in the late 1920s, as farming methods changed. About the same time, the outside world, aided by the automobile and mass communication, started to seep into the Cheyenne Valley. By World War II, many of the descendants of the valley’s mixed race settlers had dispersed to urban areas such as Milwaukee.

Interest in preserving the area’s heritage and the round barns, however, has started to grow. The Heritage committee, headed up by Ed Emerson and aided by Wheeler, developed and printed 2,000 copies of the “Cheyenne Valley Heritage Road Tour” brochure. Free to the public, they were gone in a year, Emerson said.

Other round barns, while no longer used for agriculture, still serve a purpose.

Angie Cina’s round, tiled barn on Viroqua’s northeast side was built around 1914 by her maternal grandparents and was used for milking until 1978. In 1989, her parents, Mary and Nunce Cina, had the hay mow floor raised and reinforced. It’s now used for storage and as a children’s play area and will remain in the family for the future.

Charles and Wendy Manser, both computer consultants, moved to the Hillsboro area from Chicago because of the lifestyle. They also became round barn owners.

Their barn is empty, waiting for rehabilitation. On Sept. 14, a group of volunteers, some of whom trace their heritage back to Algie Shivers, will meet at the Mansers’ barn to discuss its future. All volunteers are welcome.

Some help from the state would be welcome as well, barn supporters said. They want Wisconsin to follow Iowa’s lead in establishing grants for barn restorations.

Pedretti sighs when she talks about it. “There’s no money to repair them,” she said. “I’m always hoping there will be interest.”