Local History Room
Barberton Public Library
602 W. Park Avenue
Barberton, OH 44203-2458
Phone: 330.745.1194
Barberton Historical Society
PO Box 666
Barberton, OH 44203
Phone: 330.830.1444
Email: Barbertonhistsoc@aol.com
Website: www.annadeanfarm.com
The new biography of O. C. Barber is now available for immediate purchase at the following Barberton locations, Snowball Books, The Barberton Herald, West End Hardware, or Wades Market. This large size, 300 page book contains many never before seen photos and is sure to become a Barberton heirloom. Of the 1000 copies printed almost 400 have been pre-sold, so please do not wait to purchase your copy. Copies can also be purchased over the Internet by going to www.annadeanfarm.com and following the instructions on the home page.
Sights to See in Barberton
The Tuscarawas River
The Tuscarawas River runs through Barberton and runs parallel, or next to the Ohio Canal. The Tuscarawas River is a natural river but also served as the water source for the Ohio Canal when it was built through this part of Ohio in the 1820’s.
The Ohio Canal Slip
Near the new Robinson Ave Bridge you will see a Slip on the Ohio Canal. A slip is a wide place in the canal where two canal boats and their mules could pass each other. Barberton is lucky to have a slip on our section of the Ohio Canal, because they are quite rare.
The Diamond Machine
Second Street and Wooster Road West
The brick Victorian industrial buildings of the Diamond Machine, the match making machinery plant of O. C. Barber's Diamond Match Company. These Victorian industrial buildings built in 1891, are some of the oldest industrial buildings in Summit County. Before World War I, both the German Kaiser (king) and the Russian Czar (king) sent embraceries to Barberton to see a demonstration of the match making equipment in these buildings.
The Tracy Block
corner of 4th Street & Tuscarawas
Built in 1891 the Tracy Block is the oldest brick building in downtown Barberton and is the same age as our town is. This building has some neat old shops in it, and at one time Barberton’s first high school was on the top floor, and Barberton’s City Government met on the second floor. Barberton’s first jail was in the basement. They say the Tracy Block is haunted on the third floor and in the basement.
The Park Theatre
The Park was built in 1919 as a movie theatre, and now its the home of the Magical Theatre Company. You can see great live plays at the Magical Theatre.
The Lake 8 Cinema
The Lake Cinema 8, built in 1938 as the Lake Theatre. This restored Art Deco movie theatre features a modern addition with a total of eight screens, showing all of the latest first run movies. At one time Barberton had six movie theatres: The Lake, The Park, The Past Time, The Lyric, The West and the Lymeric Theatre. Today we have three theatres left.
Military Honor Roll
Located on Sixth Street on the western edge of Lake Anna is the Barberton Military Honor Roll . This honors all of our Barberton veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
The Mum Gardens and Statue of O.C. BarberThird Street NW and Lake Ave.
The Barberton Mum Gardens are the home of the largest display of mums in the US. The Mum Gardens are also the home of the Barberton Mum Fest at the end of each September, with over 1 million blooms in full color. In front of the Mum Gardens is where the new statue of O. C. Barber was constructed in 2007.
Lake Anna
Lake Anna is the heart and soul of Barberton Ohio. Lake Anna is 15,000 years old and is a natural glacial kettle lake, named after Anna Laura Barber, daughter of town founder, Ohio C. Barber. The upper sidewalk around Lake Anna is 3700 feet or .70 of a mile. The lower sidewalk around Lake Anna is 2600 feet or almost 1/2 of a mile. The lake itself is 10 acres.
Ohio Columbus Barber's Anna Dean Farm
Piggery
360 E. Robinson Ave.
The Piggery, built in 1912, was the last building O. C. Barber built to complete his Anna Dean Farm. The building was built at a cost of $50,000. The Piggery was constructed to house Berskshire Swine and later it was used to house Dorset sheep from 1915 to 1917. In 1917, Mr. Barber became tired of the sheep eating all the grass around the Piggery and replaced the sheep with calves. This building is not owned by the historical society but it is lived in, and the owner is very Barberton friendly.
Heating House
360 E. Robinson Ave.
This large building was the boiler house for the five acres of green houses on the Anna Dean Farm used to grow fruits and flowers. The building contains its original 1911 Stirling Boiler, built by Babcock and Wilcox. This Stirling Boiler is one of only three remaining sets of Stirling boilers we know of in the U.S. This building is owned by the Barberton Historical Society, so feel free to hike and bike around the property.
O.C. Barber Dam
Located on Conservatory Drive behind the Anna Dean Retail Center.
This beautiful 160 foot long dam is made of solid concrete with a cut stone facing. Restored in 2001 by Testa Companies, the dam features a continuous running waterfall near its 1910 O. C. B. date stone. This structure is not owned by the historical society but the owner is very Barberton friendly so please be respectful of the property but feel free to sit on the stone benches for a rest and enjoy the water fall. Please stay on the pathways, don’t walk on the Dam, and please stay off the grass.
Creamery
Portsmouth Ave near Third Street SE
Here the Anna Dean Farm milk and ice cream was packaged. Like Barn No. 1, the Creamery has the distinctive 1909 O. C. B. date stone on the south end under the lunette window. This building is a private residence and is off limits to tours at this time.
Barn Number One
Third Street SE and Portsmouth Ave.
Anna Dean FarmBarn No 1 was the first cattle barn built on the Anna Dean Farm. Built in 1909, this tri-silo barn is the only tower barn remaining on the property. Although it is now the largest remaining building at 25,000 square feet, this barn was the smallest of the three main cow barns. Barn No 1, has a 1909 O. C. B. date stone below the Palladian window on the south end of the barn. This building is the world headquarters of Yoder Brothers Inc, and is off limits to tours at this time.
Ohio Historical Marker here states:
Ohio Columbus Barber began construction of his farm complex in 1909; Barn No. 1 was the first structure. The farm, named for his daughter and son-in-law, ultimately encompassed 3500 acres and 102 structures. It was famous for both the design of its buildings and its scientific agriculture. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Barn No. 1 was renovated in 1985 by Yoder Brothers, Inc., for their world headquarters.
Poultry Manager's Office
139 Second Street SE
This building, which resembles a two-story home, is actually the Poultry Manager’s Office. This is where all of the business of the Anna Dean Poultry Department was conducted. The original chicken and duck departments extended 550 feet, north and south, from this building. There were 50,000 ducks here when Barber built this part of his farm in 1909. Today you can see a small portion of the duck wall south of this building. This building is lived in and is owned by the Barberton Historical Society, so feel free to hike and bike around the property.
Feed Barn
Behind the Poultry Manager’s Office
Built in 1910, this is the oddest little barn on the Anna Dean Farm. This is the only building on the Anna Dean Farm constructed of smooth faced brown concrete block with cut sandstone sills. The Feed Barn was used to store and dispense feed to the chickens and ducks on the Anna Dean Farm. This building is owned by the Barberton Historical Society, so feel free to hike and bike around the property.
Brooder Barn
112 Second Street SE
Built in 1910 the Brooder Barn was used as a chicken coop from 1910 until 1920. This area housed over 50,000 brooder hens. Like all major Anna Dean Farm barns, the Brooder Barn had an apartment on the second floor for the barn manager and his family. The Brooder Barn has the distinction of having housed the world’s largest incubator. Today the Brooder Barn is a daycare known as "All About Kids". This fantastic adaptive reuse of this building shows what a Barber Barn can be turned into. This building is owned by the Barberton Historical Society, so feel free to hike and bike around the property but please stay on the driveway areas.
Colt Barn
740 Austin Drive
Actually the smallest of the remaining major barns on the Anna Dean Farm this building was built in Colt Barn1910 as a bull barn but was converted into the Colt Barn in 1912. This building is owned by the Barberton Historical Society, so feel free to hike and bike around the property.
Ohio Historical Marker located near the colt barn states:
Ohio Columbus Barber, a wealthy Ohio businessman and founder of Barberton, retired in 1905 to develop his Anna Dean Farm. Built in 1910, the colt barn was a part of this 3000-acre estate. Although originally intended for bulls, the building was converted in 1912 to a stable for colts. Akron architects Harpster and Bliss designed the barn, and it was the smallest on the farm. Like many buildings erected by Barber, the colt barn features the patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme he favored. Between Barber's death in 1920 and the founding of the Barberton Historical Society in 1974, all but nine of the estate's thirty-five original buildings were razed. The historical society saved the colt barn in 1978, which led to the birth of the city's historic preservation movement. The society completed restoration of the colt barn in 1998 with a grant from the Barberton Community Foundation.
Johnson’s Corners
Johnson Park, Wooster Road West and Cleveland Massillon Rd. An early settlement on the west side, it has maintained its identity because it wasn’t annexed to Barberton until 1929. Barberton has grown from a village of approximately 600 acres to a city of approximately eight square miles in its first 100 years.
Ohio Historical Marker here states:
Thomas Johnson first came to Norton Township in 1814, and within three years he had established the township's first sawmill along the fast-moving waters of Wolf Creek. The enterprising Johnson also erected a tavern, store, and post office, all on the northeast corner of this town square. In 1830 a grist mill was added to the community. Predating the founding of Barberton by seventy-seven years, Johnson's Corner existed from 1817 until 1929, when it was annexed into Barberton.
The Indian Statue, Chief Hopocan
Norton Avenue and Wooster Road North
The statue was erected in 1911 as a memorial to the Portage Path and the early pioneers of New Portage.
The Erie Depot
Located on Fourth Street
The depot was built in 1890 and is now the Bike Depot.
Alexander Square
The buildings in the blocks on each side of Tuscarawas Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Streets have been designated as nationally historic. The Tracy Block, the first business block to be built in Barberton is part of this complex. Another interesting building is the old Park Theatre, built in 1919, which is now the home of the Magical Theater Company.
Early Synthetic Soda Ash Plant
4829 Fairland Road
Ash plant Ohio Historical Marker here states:
Production of synthetic soda ash began here, in America's second plant, on November 1, 1900, by Columbia Chemical Company to support Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG Industries), marking birth of PPG's diversified chemical operations. Principal founder John Pitcairn, first works manager Hugh Allen Galt. Plant subsequently added other chemicals. World's deepest limestone mine (2200 feet beneath surface) established 1944. Soda ash discontinued 1973.
Slovenian Independent Society Home
70 24th Street NW
Ohio Historical Marker here states:
In 1918, early Slovene immigrants organized the Slovenian Independent Society HomeSlovenian Independent Society Home and later constructed this hall, which became the center for Barberton Slovene cultural, social, and recreational activities. They formed dramatic and singing clubs, conducting performances in their native language. In the early twentieth century, prior to employers providing insurance or health care for their workers, the society acted to ensure sick and death benefits for its members. It also prepared members for citizenship in their newly chosen country. First generation Slovenes provided the labor that helped spur the growth of local industries while succeeding generations have continued to contribute to the community in various business, industrial, professional, and governmental capacities.