Arcadia's Round Barn
Near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Round Barn of Arcadia is one of the most photographed structures on Route Sixty-Six. William Odor built it in eighteen ninety-eight out of native bur oak, a wood that could be bent into curves when green. The circular design was not mere novelty. Round barns were believed to be more resistant to Oklahoma wind, structurally stronger per board foot, and better for keeping cattle from crowding into corners.
The barn deteriorated for decades, and its roof collapsed in nineteen eighty-eight. Local volunteers led by Luther Robison rebuilt it, finishing the restoration in nineteen ninety-two. Today it serves as a visitors center and gift shop. The restoration itself became a small legend on the Route Sixty-Six circuit, proof that a community could decide its past was worth keeping.
