This barn is made of roughhewn lumber on a wooden beam frame. I was not able to locate the construction date. It is still standing, but is now used for cattle. The Amana Society Farms no longer keep sheep.
The primary communal purpose for the building was for wool harvesting. The sheep were kept here, and were sheared every spring. This was an interesting process. There would be a room designated as the shearing room. In this room were two benches. Twelve men would be situated on one bench, alternating sides so that 6 sheep would be sheared on each side. This made a total on 12 sheep per bench, 24 in all, that would be sheared at one time. Usually, the more experienced shearers would sit closest to the door. They were able to shear faster and their placement made for peak efficiency. The sheep were brought in, sheared, and then released into a separate pen. Since there were hundreds of sheep, this was a large job in the spring.
After shearing, the fleece would be taken to the woolen mill. There it would be carded, dyed, and made into blankets and other wool products. When taken to Amana by rail one year, the wool filled three train cars. That's a lot of wool! The Woolen Mill is still making items on a more limited scale. They have a broad product base and about any woolen apparel can be found there.
Sheep shearing was almost a village event. My oma can remember getting out of school early and going with her class to watch the men shear. Sheep were a favorite among children. They would watch the process with great attention. My oma also remembers that there was a man who was mean. He would sometimes snip a sheep's ear, stating that now he would know which sheep he had sheared. This cruelty was frowned upon by all. Most of the men could shear a sheep quickly without even nicking it.
Picture of sheep barn. This resembles the one in South Amana, but may have been one in East. Picture courtesy of the Amana Heritage Society.