Minor Sod House, Historic sod building in McDonald, United States.
The Minor Sod House is a building made of sod bricks in McDonald, Kansas, constructed with thick layers of grassland material and topped with a galvanized metal roof. The structure measures about 48 by 19 feet and demonstrates the practical building methods used by early settlers.
The house was built in 1907 during the settlement period and later served as a post office. Tom Minor was its first postmaster and ran the postal station for about a decade.
The building shows how pioneers on the Great Plains built with sod because wood and stone were scarce. You can still see today how this building method helped settlers adapt to the harsh environment.
The building is located in Rawlins County and can be viewed from the outside, where you can observe the construction method closely. The grounds are easy to access, but visitors should check if it is open for inside tours.
The house has a wooden lean-to addition on the side that breaks up the otherwise pure sod construction and reflects the limited availability of building materials. The exterior walls were later finished with cement and stucco, giving the building an unusual appearance.
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