National Register of Historic Places in San Luis Obispo County

National Register #13001068: Pereira Octagon Barn in San Luis Obispo
CowParade SLO County Fiberglass Cow Cow #86 - SLO County Cow Parade
Cow's Name: L.C.
Artist: Carol Paulson
Sponsor: The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County

12 March 2017
(Click Photos to Zoom)

National Register #13001068
Pereira Octagon Barn
4400 Octagon Way
San Luis Obispo
Built 1906

The Pereira Octagon Barn is a former dairy barn built on land which was originally part of a Mexican-era land grant. The barn is a late manifestation of the Octagon Style of barn which was popular in the second half of the 19th century, particularly in the dairy states of the Middle West.

The Pereira Octagon Barn is one of the few West Coast examples of eight-sided barn architecture, which was intended to be more efficient for the farmer in the days before mechanization made farm labor less arduous.

The barn was a dairy bam for approximately fifty years, in a county known from the 1860s to the 1950s for its production of milk, butter and cheese. In the mid-1950s, the property was converted to a beef cattle ranch.

Source: Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in the year 2013.

Cow Parade SLO County

From September 2016 through May 2017, CowParade SLO County displayed 101 fiberglass cows. The number 101 was inspired by Highway 101 which follows the route of El Camino Real, the 18th century Royal Road that ran from San Diego to the Sonoma Plaza and connected the twenty-one Franciscan missions in California.

According to the CowParade SLO County website, "the event will showcase 101 life-size, 120-pound, fiberglass works of art. The event will give local artists a chance to showcase their talents on a global stage. The region's agricultural history, growing arts scene and its ecotourism draw make CowParade the perfect conduit for a countywide event that will involve, unite and benefit the whole community."

The cow in front of the Pereira Octagon Barn is a cyclist, one who obviously is serious about her sport.

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