“This is Rocket Territory” is painted on the side of a barn at the end Rocket Drive leading to Slippery Rock Area High School in Slippery Rock Township on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Butler Eagle File Photo

SLIPPERY ROCK — With the community’s support, the iconic white barn reading, “This is Rocket Territory” will not only stay where it’s at — it will also get a new roof, a mural and a fresh coat of paint.

The school board approved a motion to allow the historic barn committee to proceed with securing bids for the repairs at its Monday, May 12, meeting.

David Smith, the head of the committee and a 1978 graduate of Slippery Rock Area High School, felt a deep sense of responsibility to preserve the local landmark. The Monday meeting marked a milestone for the group that formed more than a year ago with intentions to save the barn from being torn down.

“It is a very important structure. It’s been there longer than the high school itself,” Smith said.

Sitting at the entrance to the high school when entering from Centreville Pike, the historic barn has stood for nearly 100 years as a sign of “Rocket Territory.”

“It is important not only to the alumni, but to the students as well. In the next few weeks, you’ll start to see many of this year’s graduates getting photos taken in front of the barn,” Smith said.

Currently, the committee has received three separate bids, all of which came in under $20,000. Each of these bids would cover the cost of repairs to the roof, gutters and downspouts. All the committee has to do now is raise those funds to move forward.

Smith plans to meet with the Slippery Rock Heritage Foundation next week to discuss the best course of action.

“Our hope is to start with securing donations from local corporations and, dependent on what we are able to raise from there, we would examine seeking funding from the general community,” Smith said.

According to Smith, one local company has already reached out to the committee offering to help with securing the funding for the painting of the barn. Smith hopes to sit down with that company in the near future to discuss the financing.

The committee plans to paint the barn white and maintain the original signage facing the west-end of the barn. On the east-end, a mural could be painted depicting Rocket pride.

“We’re working with Katie Shutey of the middle school art department in regards to the mural, which we want to represent the students and school alike,” Smith said.

Smith said he believes the barn will celebrate its 100th birthday next year and said the goal of the committee is to have the barn repairs and painting completed in time for a centennial celebration.

The barn was originally apart of the McNees family farm and is the only section of the farm that remains.

In 1978, the Slippery Rock Area High School cheerleaders painted the words, “This is Rocket Territory” along the west side of the barn.

From that year on, student athletes were greeted with those words every time their buses made their way past the barn.

“I always said, win or lose you knew you were home when you saw the barn,” Smith said.