GAGETOWN AT A GLANCE:
Gagetown is a small town with a great claim to fame — the Thumb Octagon Barn.

The Thumb Octagon Barn, a truly unique historical site, was built in 1923-24 for James and Cora Purdy by builders George and John Munro. The Purdys lived in an elegant 12-room home built in 1919-22.

HISTORY:
The Octagon Barn stands about four stories tall and boasts an enclosed space of about 8,600 square feet. There’s a large loft on six sides of the barn which provides 6,200 square feet of storage space above in addition to stables, tack rooms and grain storage areas below. The barn originally featured an overhead tramway as well as a sophisticated ventilation system.

Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn is a group of area volunteers who have diligently committed themselves to the restoration and preservation of the barn complex for the community. The barn is located 1 mile east of Gagetown and 1 mile north on Richie Road in Tuscola County, just south of the Huron County border. Each August the complex and the town of Gagetown host the Octagon Barn Festival packed full with fun for the entire family. September brings fall to the Upper Thumb and Fall Family Days to the Octagon Barn. Proceeds go toward efforts to preserve the historical gem.