Barker House Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

State, Federal and local officials took part in a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to dedicate a new access road constructed by ODOT to the site of the historic Col. Joseph Barker Jr. House at the Willow Island Locks and Dam on Dec. 10, 2021. The ceremony included U.S. Senator Rob Portman, Deputy District Engineer Lt. Col. Robin Scott, Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks, Friends of the Joseph Barker Jr. House President Jack Haessly, and Congressman Bill Johnson. The construction of the road is the latest step in the work to preserve the house so it can be restored and made accessible to the public.

The Barker House, built around 1828, is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was used as office space in the 1960s for the Willow Island Lock and Dam. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 2017, the Corps proposed to tear down the building since it was no longer in use and in need of repair. However, following discussions with the Corps and local stakeholders, the Corps agreed to reverse its decision and leave the historic Barker House standing and to allow for land conveyance and restoration of the house.