Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
“The Grimes Octagon Barn is an historic building located near West Union in rural Fayette County, Iowa, United States. It was built by Joe Butler in 1880 for M.W.”
Wikipedia article Grimes Octagon Barn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 29 National Register listings published here for Fayette County · listed in 1986 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 21 fires within 5 miles of Grimes Octagon Barn between 2006 and 2019, burning about 280 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 13 |
| Debris and open burning | 6 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 July 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 7 May 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 140 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 7 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 6 April 2019 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 24 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 April 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 15 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 11 workings within 5 miles of Grimes Octagon Barn: 6 past producers, 5 producers. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crider Sand and Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Carmichael Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Drewes Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Houg Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Landas Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Mc Donough Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Nuttins Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Pape Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Patterson Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names West Union, the town this property stands in, in 33 storm reports between 1997 and 2024: 18 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2001 | Tornado (F1) | West Union | 1 hurt, $40,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $175,000 | Emergency management reported numerous trees and power lines down in Elgin. A tree had also fallen onto a home. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $65,000 | A fifth wheel camper was picked up and turned upside down by straight line winds from a severe thunderstorm. The winds also partially removed the metal roof off a large machine shed. Golf ball sized hail also fell that broke the siding on a house. |
| May 1999 | Hail | West Union | $35,000 | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | West Union | $16,000 | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $15,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down in West Union. One tree landed on a garage causing some roof damage. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $14,000 | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $10,000 | A roof was blown off a building in West Union. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $5,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down in West Union. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $5,000 | Trees were blown down at the Fayette County Courthouse and fairgrounds in West Union. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $5,000 | A barn near West Union was damaged by the wind gusts from a severe thunderstorm. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $5,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across West Union. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $3,000 | Some trees and power lines were blown down in West Union. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $1,500 | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $1,000 | Numerous tree branches were blown down just south of West Union. Some of the branches were up to 8 inches in diameter. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $500 | no account filed |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | $200 | A large tree was blown down in West Union. |
| June 2017 | Heavy Rain | West Union | - | In West Union, 4.75 inches of rain fell. |
| August 2016 | Funnel Cloud | West Union | - | A funnel cloud was sighted near West Union. |
| April 2013 | Hail | West Union | - | Quarter sized hail fell in West Union. |
| July 2017 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Union | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | West Union | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Maple View Sanitarium | 3.2 miles | 1998 |
 | Fayette County Courthouse | 3.3 miles | 1981 |
| West Union Commercial Historic District | 3.4 miles | 2015 | |
 | Hobson Block | 3.5 miles | 2008 |
 | First Baptist Church of West Union | 3.5 miles | 1999 |
 | Vine Street Bridge | 3.8 miles | 1998 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 86001428 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Fayette County | All 29 listed properties in this county. |
Block