ARCADIA – An Arcadia Round Barn siding repair project has received a boost from the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.

The Arcadia Historical and Preservation Society is one of six recipients of the 2023 cost-share grant award, said Ann Young, president of the society. The award is for $30,000, with a match of $79,850 to be provided by the historical society.

Grant funds will help to re-side the barn using materials and methods that were used when the barn was built in 1898 and again when it was restored in 1992. The contract has been awarded to Dana Holman of Wellston, who has many years of experience doing carpentry and construction on historical properties.

“The Round Barn is an iconic Route 66 landmark, and the historical society is charged with keeping it in the best repair possible,” said Young, who wrote the grant proposal. “Time and the Oklahoma weather have taken their toll on the barn’s beautiful red siding, and the historical society board is excited to launch a rejuvenation project.”

Young said she is grateful for the Route 66 travelers and local residents who support the society’s mission with annual donations, purchases from the gift shop and music tips contributed during the concerts held every weekend at the barn. Volunteers who keep the museum open seven days a week are also vital to its operation, as are the people who rent the barn loft for weddings and other special events.

The much-photographed barn is a popular stop for Route 66 travelers from across the world and is visited by about 40,000 people annually. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Round Barn is located six miles east of Interstate 35 on Historic Route 66 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free to the museum and live music events, but donations are accepted for the upkeep of the barn.

The Corridor Preservation Program provides grant assistance for historic preservation, research, oral history, interpretive and educational projects related to Historic Route 66. The remaining 2023 grants were awarded to projects in New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Photo provided by Arcadia Historical and Preservation Society