HUBER HEIGHTS — It’s one of 88 barns across the state that was painted to celebrate Ohio’s bicentennial in 2003 and Wednesday the artist behind the barns was back repainting the one in Montgomery County.
The Bicentennial Barn sits along I-70 in Huber Heights. The other 87 barns were painted across Ohio, one in each county.
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Behind the barns is the story of Scott Hagan, who painted all 88 barns across the state beginning five years before the state’s bicentennial. Hagan travelled around 65,000 miles and used 650 gallons of paint to accomplish the mission that started more than 20 years ago, according to Ohio History Connection and the State Library of Ohio.
But changes at the Bicentennial Barn along I-70 called for Hagan to pull out the brush again after the barn’s new owner tracked him down. The historic barn is in the process of being converted into a wedding venue and its owner is planning to have events at the venue in May next year.
As part of the preparations and remodel, the wooden planks on the side of the barn were renovated covering the old painting Hagen did back in 1998.
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