Antique Louden A21 Barn Pulley Cast Iron Wood Wheel Fairfield Iowa Farm Decor

This antique barn pulley has an openwork teardrop shaped cast iron frame around a heavy solid wood wheel, with "LOUDEN" cast directly into the iron arm, matching the company's A21 pulley style.

The Louden Machinery Company built equipment like this in Fairfield, Iowa in the early 1900s for hoisting hay bales into barn lofts, and pieces with the Louden name crisply cast into the iron are well known among collectors for that clear, confirmed branding.

Details

• Item: Louden A21 antique barn pulley
• Item Type: farm or barn pulley, cast iron frame with wood wheel
• Era: not confirmed from photos, estimated late 1890s to 1910s based on the A21 model style
• Materials: cast iron frame, solid wood wheel
• Color: deep brown oxidized iron with a natural weathered wood wheel
• Maker and Mark: "LOUDEN" cast into the iron frame arm, matching the A21 model designation
• Pattern or Model: Louden A21
• Style: early 1900s American farm and barn equipment, openwork skeleton frame
• Dimensions: approximately 10 inches long, 6 inches wide, wood wheel 6 inches round and 2 inches thick
• Special Features: swiveling top eye, solid wood sheave that turns freely

Condition Grade: Very Good

Positives

• Graded Very Good: shows light use, sound and attractive with only minor flaws
• The wood wheel turns freely and the top swivel eye moves as it should
• The "LOUDEN" mark is crisp and clearly legible on the frame
• No cracks or breaks anywhere in the cast iron or the wood wheel

Issues / Wear

• The piece has a heavy, dusty surface patina throughout, typical of hardware stored in a barn for decades
• Even brown oxidation covers the iron frame, consistent with age rather than active damage

Condition Grade Key

• Near Fine: Almost perfect. Very minor signs of age only.
• Very Good: Shows light use. Sound and attractive with minor flaws.
• Good: Complete and intact. Noticeable wear consistent with age and use.
• Fair: Shows significant wear. Readable or usable but clearly used.

Collector's Notes

Louden Machinery Company built farm equipment in Fairfield, Iowa starting in the late 1860s, and by the early 1900s their pulleys were standard hardware for hoisting hay up into a barn loft.

A strong pick for a farm hardware collector, since Louden marked pulleys with clear, crisp branding like this one hold real appeal in that market.

Both the wheel and the swivel eye still move the way they were built to, which is a nice bonus on a piece this old.

Honest patina, a legible maker's mark, and real working parts, this one checks every box a collector looks for.

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Disclaimer

All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece, please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.

I do my best to capture colors accurately, but your monitor or device screen may display colors slightly differently from the actual item.

Please Note:
These pieces come from estate collections and have been surface cleaned. You may wish to perform additional cleaning depending on your preference.

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