The Round Barn of Arcadia
by Jim McCain
Title
The Round Barn of Arcadia
Artist
Jim McCain
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Round Barn in Arcadia, Oklahoma is one of the most prominent landmarks on Route 66. It was built in 1898 by William Harrison Odor. It is 60 feet in diameter and 43 feet high with a fully floored second level or loft. Though it often housed hay, grain and livestock, it soon became popular as a community center where dances, parties, weddings, etc were held. The barn has remarkable acoustics which makes it very popular for musical events. Over the years as Route 66 was built and then began a decline with the advent of interstates, the barn changed owners several times and began to fall into a state of disrepair. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and in 1988 the roof collapsed. That same year, a committed group of people led by Luther "Luke" Robinson began a restoration effort to save the historical piece from total ruin. This group, self named "The Over the Hill Gang", raised $65,000 dollars and restored the barn over a period of 4 years. Still in use for special events, tours and a gift shop are available for tourists and locals to step back in history....
Uploaded
July 18th, 2013
Embed
Share