Arcadia Round Barn History
Beautifully Restored
The Arcadia Round Barn is a landmark and tourist attraction on historic U.S. Route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma. It was built by local farmer William Harrison Odor in 1898 using native bur oak boards soaked while green and forced into the curves needed for the walls and roof rafters.
Barn Facts
The Arcadia Round Barn is 60 feet (18 meters) in diameter and 43 feet (13 meters) tall.
Why is it round?
Odor's son, Ralph, provided the answer to the question in a 1981 interview:
"At that time, there was a lot of tornadoes. My father figured if they had something round, it would hit and go around it instead of through it."
In the early 20th century, round barns were touted to be "cyclone-proof", but there is no scientific evidence to support the belief.
Timeline of the Round Barn
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1892 - 1898
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1902
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1904
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1926
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1929
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1946
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1977
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1988
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1989
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1992
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1993