LOOK: Bicentennial Barn Dedication, Ice Cream Social a Hit at Keyser Park

More than 200 people gathered Saturday afternoon, including city leaders and members of the public, to enjoy the

Family, city officials and townspeople checked out the , cooled down with ice cream and listened to the Cuyahoga Falls Community Band as part of the . 

Mayor Don Robart joked the barn was still part of the celebration even though it's a mere 99 years old. Jokes aside, Robart said he was inspired to be at the ceremony.

"I would ask Paul at committe meetings 'Are we going to have this done on time?' and depending on what was going on or the night before, it was either (gestures thumbs up) or (gestures thumbs down)," Robart said. "But as you can see, we did it."

Paul Janis, law director and project manager, said he thought there ought to be a historic preservation component to the city's celebration.

Janis said he knew the barn had to be saved when he and Robart walked through the old structure and observed the solid construction built without nails or screws.

"This barn will last hundreds of years because it's so solid," said Janis.

The project kicked off with a $10,000 donation from the Northampton Historical Society that was matched by the Parks and Recreation department.