James Coburn
The Edmond Sun
EDMOND —
An old building from a bygone time is being restored beside the Round Barn on the corner of Arcadia’s Main Street and Route 66.
Jimmy Blue of Arcadia said as far as he knows, the 90-year-old Brooks building has been a grocery store, feed store and welding shop, among other things.
“It’s not on the national registry. It belongs to the (Arcadia) historical society,” Blue said of the masonry building. “Washington never slept there. Lincoln wasn’t born there or anything, but like I said, it’s 90 years old and deserves a little health.”
Blue is one of five volunteers from the CMS Willowbrook Co. who will remove debris from the building’s top floor on Saturday. The Oklahoma City company is also rehabilitating the former Oklahoma Historical Society Building on the grounds of the state Capitol.
“We’re no strangers to preservation,” Blue said.
Blue said more than 27,000 people visited the Round Barn last year. Plans are for an information center to go in the Brooks building. Matching Route 66 corridor funds will be applied for in September, Blue said.
“What we’re doing now is emergency repair because you can see daylight through the roof,” Blue said. “…We would like donations. They could call the Round Barn or stop by.”
The Round Barn hosts a bluegrass jam at noon on the second Sunday of every month.
“We help them preserve music. They help us preserve the old Round Barn,” Blue said.
TO LEARN MORE about how you can help in the restoration of the old Arcadia food store, call the Arcadia Round Barn at 396-0824.
jcoburn@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 114
