Barberton Historical Society of Ohio featuring the Anna Dean Farm of O.C. Barber

About US:

THE BARN NO 1. PROJECT - 1974

The Barberton Historical and Cultural Society was founded in 1965 after the demolition of the O. C. Barber Mansion. That organization went dormant in the late 1960s and in 1974 the Barberton Historical Society was founded in 1974 to oppose the demolition of O.C. Barber's Barn No 1. From 1920 when Mr. Barber had died, until 1974, twenty-seven of the original Anna Dean Farm buildings had been demolished. In October of 1974 a Cleveland developer proposed demolishing Barn No 1, to provide space for a nursing home.

The Barberton Historical Society was founded with the specific intention or preserving Barn No 1, as it was the last tower building left on the Anna Dean Farm. We initially circulated petitions opposing the demolition of Barn No 1, collecting 1800 signatures to stop the demolition of Barn No 1. It seemed to us at the time that there was a very anti-preservation feeling toward the preservation of this building by the Barberton City Council. In the end the Society was successful in preventing the demolition of Barn No 1, and the nursing home project was built but moved due north of Barn No 1.

Being a very gutsy organization from the beginning, the Society took out a two year option on Barn No 1, for $90,000. The option payments were $150.00 per month with the option payments to be deducted from the $90,000 purchase price. What made this such a bold move, was the fact that the Society, at the time we signed this option only had $300.00 in the bank. We raised funds locally and although we were unable to purchase Barn No 1, we did raise enough money to keep our option payments up for the entire two year period, thus preventing the immediate demolition of Barn No 1. To continue this story of Barn No 1, please click on THE BARN NO 1 PROJECT IN 1974.

This early victory in historic preservation was the first of what would become many victories and a few failures, on a variety of projects. Today historic preservation is the law in Barberton Ohio, and the government is on our side. It was not that way initially, in 1974.

DONATIONS

The Barberton Historical Society is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization organized and incorporated in 1974. We have been graciously blessed with the generous support of the Barberton Community Foundation, who has given us funding for different facets of restoration projects on all three of our buildings. Much has been accomplished but there is more to do. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please mail your check to: BARBERTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, P.O. BOX 666, BARBERTON OHIO, 44203. We will return to you a receipt and note of thanks for your support. We also accept donations of tools and lawn mowers. If you have such material, even if it doesn't work please e-mail us below. We will be happy to pick it up from you. We have an excellent mechanic who volunteers his time to keep all of our lawn mowers and trimmers working.

The Society members and friends do much of the work to its own properties. Each Saturday during the warm weather months we mow almost 7 acres of lawn around three of our buildings. If you would like to be put on our electronic mailing list to volunteer some of your time to work on our buildings please click this link below to contact us. We can always use painters, people willing to help mow, carpenters, and general laborers willing to donate a few Saturdays per year to help out on restoration projects.

We have fun on our projects and we encourage you to contact us at Barbertonhistsoc@aol.com

We are in the process of updating our membership application. Please email us at Barbertonhistsoc@aol.com and we will send you out one of our new applications.