Joel Rayburn, owner of the Route 66-related GlassBoy Studios and Tourist Trap Tees, soon will move into the historic Brooks Building just a stone's throw from the Round Barn in Arcadia, Oklahoma. Rayburn told me in a text he should be ready to open the doors to those businesses there by early October. According to … Continue reading Brooks Building in Arcadia soon will have a Route 66-friendly tenant
Category: Preservation
Springfield mayor ends up with Bel-Aire Motel’s seal
The mayor of Springfield, Illinois, is the new owner of the seal sculpture that once stood at the now-demolished Bel-Air Motel on Route 66 in Springfield, according to the State Journal-Register. Jim Langfelder said he paid $2,500 of his own money for the 8,000-pound statue, which once stood as a fountain near what used to be … Continue reading Springfield mayor ends up with Bel-Aire Motel’s seal
Joplin approves rezoning of Dale’s Ole 66 Barber Shop
The city council of Joplin, Missouri, on Monday night unanimously voted to approve a special-use permit for Dale's Ole 66 Barber Shop that would allow an artist to set up a gallery and visitors center there, according to the Joplin Globe. The barber shop, owned by Dale Holly's widow, is in a former Phillips 66 cottage-style … Continue reading Joplin approves rezoning of Dale’s Ole 66 Barber Shop
Milk Bottle Building reopens with new tenant
Prairie Gothic, a boutique based in nearby Guthrie, Oklahoma, opened a second store in the historic Milk Bottle Building along Route 66 in Oklahoma City last week after months of renovations, according to an article in The Oklahoman newspaper. It's not a carbon copy of the other Prairie Gothic store, either. The Milk Bottle Building … Continue reading Milk Bottle Building reopens with new tenant
The Nat may have a new owner soon
Tucked deep into a KFDA-TV story about The Nat in Amarillo, Texas, is the news the historic venue's current tenant intends to buy it as soon as her lease expires. Here's the relevant excerpt about Kasey Tam, who runs The Nat as an antique store: Tam is leasing the building currently. Her lease agreement expires … Continue reading The Nat may have a new owner soon
Gasconade River Bridge makes Missouri’s Most Endangered list
Route 66's closed Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen, Missouri, made Missouri Preservation's Most Endangered Historic Places list for 2015. The Old Phillipsburg General Store in the Route 66 town of Phillipsburg, Missouri, also made the list. The annual list, announced Friday, is designed to call attention to properties endangered because of deterioration, neglect, encroachment, potential demoltion … Continue reading Gasconade River Bridge makes Missouri’s Most Endangered list
Joplin barber shop likely to become gallery, visitors center
An automotive artist from California may buy Dale's Ole 66 Barber Shop in Joplin, Missouri, and turn it into a gallery and visitors center, according to the Joplin Globe. Len Nordmann of Lake Elsinore, California, wants to buy the property at 2312 Utica St. (aka Route 66) from Shirley Holly, widow of longtime owner Dale Holly, who owned it … Continue reading Joplin barber shop likely to become gallery, visitors center
Signs saved from the demolished Bel-Aire Motel
An article this week in the The State Journal-Register answers one question in the wake of the demolition of the Bel-Air Motel in Springfield, Illinois -- what will happen to the neon signs? The short answer: They've been acquired by two local residents, where they likely will be restored. Retired Springfield businessman Ron Metzger and … Continue reading Signs saved from the demolished Bel-Aire Motel
2015 cost-share grants for Route 66 announced
The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced four cost-share grants totaling more than $97,000 for 2015. Boots Court architectural neon restoration, Carthage, Missouri, $20,000 grant, $20,565 match: Built in 1939, the Boots Court Motel is an outstanding example of a mom-and-pop motor court built in the Streamline Moderne style. Once threatened with demolition, the owners … Continue reading 2015 cost-share grants for Route 66 announced
Restoration of Totem Pole begins
Two artists who hail from Tulsa recently began restoration of the top part of the main totem pole at Totem Pole Park, off Route 66 in Foyil, Oklahoma, according to KOTV. Margo Hoover and Erin Turner began using power washers Saturday to strip the remnants of the old paint off so they can repaint the … Continue reading Restoration of Totem Pole begins