New Downtown AirBNB Harkens Ponca City History
New Downtown AirBNB Harkens Ponca City History
Historic B.S. Barnes Airbnb "If These Walls Could Talk"
Airbnbs have been growing in popularity over the last several years. Ponca City alone has almost fifty locations where travelers can book an overnight stay. This year, a new Airbnb has opened in Ponca City that offers a very unique appeal. However, in order to tell the story of this home properly, we must get into a bit of Ponca City’s vibrant history.
Ponca City was founded on Sept. 16, 1893, during the Cherokee Strip Land Run. An entrepreneur named B.S. Barnes believed our area would be a good location for a townsite based on its proximity to a naturally fed spring, the Arkansas River and a railroad. He planned to call his town New Ponca. The government had already established the location for the townsite of Cross near where B.S. planned to start New Ponca, but this did not stop him from moving forward with his plans. B.S. participated in the run and was successful in getting tracts of land to begin to build New Ponca. Being a clever man, prior to the run, B.S. had sold lottery tickets to people for a chance to win a lot in New Ponca where they could build a home. This ensured citizens to live in his new town. Within a week of the run, B.S. held the drawing for the lots, dug a well and created a school. He was also elected Mayor of New Ponca.
Soon B.S. became frustrated with the fact that the railroad stopped in Cross but not in New Ponca. One night as the town slept, B.S. Barnes convinced the train station manager to let him move his home from Cross to Ponca to change the location of the train stop. With that move, the future of Ponca City was solidified, and town leaders could advertise that the “train stops in Ponca City just like it stops in Chicago.”
In 1896, B.S. Barnes’ wife and children came to Ponca City and they built their family home. Originally located at the corner of 6th and Grand, the house was relocated in 1915 to its current location at 408 N. 5th Street.
The historic B.S. Barnes home first caught Larry Buck’s eye when he was a volunteer preparing for our town’s centennial celebration to be held in 1993. As a lover of our community’s history, Larry knew the home was culturally valuable to Ponca City. He kept an eye on the house for many years. When it came up for sale just a few years ago, Buck knew it was the right time for him to purchase the property. He mainly purchased the property because he didn’t want to see such a vital piece of our history deteriorate any further. He knew he wanted to restore the Barnes home to its former glory, and the idea of creating a historic Airbnb seemed like the perfect fit.
The home was built in the Queen Anne Victorian style and has four bedrooms and two full baths. Buck says it “feels very much like it did in 1896 when it was completed.” While great care was taken to use period-appropriate furniture and décor where possible, Buck and his daughter Caroline also made the house smart, with all the impressive features modern technology has to offer.
The exterior of the home is painted in a friendly and welcoming color scheme similar to colors that would have been used in the 1890s. The front porch looks like a lovely location for a hot cup of coffee or tea on an early morning. When entering the home, you’re met with a beautiful staircase to your left and the living room and dining room on your right. The master bedroom and ensuite bathroom, located downstairs, are luxurious while featuring some period-appropriate furniture pieces. Both bathrooms contain their original claw-foot bathtubs. A deck was built just outside the master suite that provides a private and cozy place for guests to spend time, complete with patio furniture and a fire pit for those colder evenings.
The kitchen is spacious and features a gas stove that’s been remade to look like an old potbellied stove. Both the kitchen and dining area have tables and seating for meals. The remaining three bedrooms are upstairs and are all queen beds, while the master is a king-sized bed. The upstairs can be reached by the staircase at the front of the house or using a staircase near the kitchen. There is a washer and dryer upstairs, as well.
Buck says the home had to be totally replumbed and rewired during the restoration process. A tankless water heater system, brand new heat and air units and Wi-Fi are all part of the home’s smart features. The home is contactless, so once guests have made reservations through Airbnb they receive an access code, which changes at checkout time, to allow them to come and go as they please during their stay. The home can comfortably sleep 10, thanks to the sofa bed in the living room.
He says the feedback from guests has been excellent so far. Reviews on their Airbnb listing speak for themselves. One guest, Michael, had this to say, “We are so glad we found, and stayed in, The Historic Barnes House in Ponca City! What a delightful house: the meticulous efforts at historic preservation of a classic home, combined with equally careful attention to modern amenities and comfort, made it a place my family wants to return to in future visits to Ponca City. Caroline and her husband were friendly and helpful throughout – super people. Plus, I enjoyed the easy walking distance to take in the downtown’s historic buildings. Thank you for making it available for us!”
Buck says his favorite part of the house is simply imagining the conversations that have taken place there over the years. As home to Ponca City’s first Mayor, the walls in the Barnes House have most certainly stood guard during plans, negotiations and decisions being made that greatly impacted Ponca City and its vibrant history.
To find out more about the historic B.S. Barnes home, follow their Facebook page by searching “Historic Barnes House” or checkout their listing on Airbnb here: B.S. Barnes House.
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