Harn Homestead Museum
Partnership Overview
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Harn Homestead Museum – Multi-Phase Preservation & Maintenance
✔️ Location: Oklahoma City, OK
✔️ Type: Museum Campus | Historic Structures Restoration & Long-Term Care
✔️ Historic Designation: National Register of Historic Places
✔️ Duration: 2022 – Present
About the Work
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The Harn Homestead Museum is a ten-acre open-air museum dedicated to telling the story of early Oklahoma Territory life. Its campus includes multiple historic structures – some original to the land, others relocated – each representing a unique chapter in Oklahoma’s formative years.
Since 2022, Old Home Rescue has partnered with the museum to restore and maintain nearly every building, create a comprehensive deferred maintenance plan, and provide responsive repairs that safeguard the site’s historic integrity.
Rather than a one-time effort, this partnership reflects a long-term stewardship approach – from structural stabilization and façade restoration to masonry, painting, assessments, and even community education. Each step is tailored to the building’s needs and the museum’s operations.
Restoring Authenticity, Ensuring Longevity
How We Work
- Planning First
In 2022, following a major restoration at the Stoney Point Schoolhouse, Old Home Rescue created a full Deferred Maintenance Plan for the entire campus. The plan outlined each structure’s condition, urgent needs, and long-term care—helping staff prioritize work based on urgency, funding, and visitor impact. - Phased Care
Restoration is phased strategically to align with public programming and address the most vulnerable buildings first. This approach maximizes resources while preventing further deterioration. - Ongoing Partnership
Guided by the maintenance plan, Old Home Rescue continues to provide both large-scale restorations and small repairs. Our team is on call for assessments, stabilization, and emergency fixes—functioning as an extension of the museum’s preservation staff.
Restoration Hilights
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Stoney Point Schoolhouse: Façade restoration, wood shingle roof repair, siding stabilization, wood window restoration, and custom preservation paint system.
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Deferred Maintenance Plan: Comprehensive condition and preservation roadmap for all campus structures.
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Event Barn: Masonry repairs using Type S mortar for long-term stability and historic accuracy.
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Farmhouse: Installation of salvaged rear door sourced from local architectural salvage.
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Shepherd House: Roof replacement, window/door stabilization, repainting, and preservation of Oklahoma City’s first post–Land Run staircase.
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Neal Cabin: Multiple assessments to determine preservation strategies for this relocated log structure.
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Shinn Barn: Structural assessment revealed major safety concerns; stabilization plan now in progress.
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Harn House: Foundation stabilization (corrected 4″ differential), siding repairs, and a CLG-funded Window Restoration Workshop. Current work includes historic replica attic window replacement.
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Other Structures: Ongoing maintenance of the office building, gazebo, and additional campus features.
lasting Community Value
This work preserves more than just buildings—it – protects public history.
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Schoolchildren continue to learn in the Stoney Point Schoolhouse
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Couples celebrate milestones in the restored Event Barn
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Thousands of visitors each year experience the authenticity of Oklahoma’s territorial past
A Landmark Worth Preserving
The Harn Homestead is one of Oklahoma City’s most significant historic landmarks. Originally owned by William Fremont Harn, a U.S. land commissioner during the Land Run of 1889, the property now serves as a museum showcasing Oklahoma’s territorial period.
Visitors explore preserved structures like the Harn House, a one-room schoolhouse, barns, cabins, and more. The site welcomes thousands of schoolchildren, families, and event guests each year – including weddings and the annual Little Women: A Holiday Experience.
A Model For Preservation
- Paint Process: Class 2 paint removal (failed paint only), H-I-S Paint’s Majesty acrylic primer with titanium dioxide, elastomeric caulking for expansion needs, and premium topcoats per NPS Brief 10.
- Masonry: Type-S pre-blended mortar engineered to mimic historic Type-N composition for structural compatibility.
Windows: Hand-glazed with Sarco Type-M linseed-oil glazing compound; installation of QuantaPanel aluminum storm windows in custom colors.
Results
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Preservation work continues without disrupting museum tours or events
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Historic structures stabilized, restored, and made safer for daily use
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Staff equipped with a clear, actionable long-term care plan
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Consistent treatment across the entire campus
Why Old Home Rescue?
Old Home Rescue has experienced remodel contractors that specialize in preserving historic buildings and exterior home remodeling. Unlike many remodel contractors, our approach is grounded in thorough research. Before starting any project, we ensure our subcontractors fully understand the why and how behind each task. Since 2015, we have assessed more than 3,000 historic homes and buildings, completed more than 500 projects on old house renovations, and restored over 4,000 historic windows. Old Home Rescue brings the expertise and experience you need for successful historic building preservation.