NORWICH – Members of the Chenango County Historical Society are excited about a building project that will feature the re-establishment of a dismantled 19th century barn on the museum’s property at 45 Rexford St.
The organization has been working closely with Norwich city officials and investigating issues surrounding the project in hopes of having the structure erected behind the Chenango County Museum by late summer, 2013.
The barn will host a collection of post Civil War era agricultural equipment ranging from the 1860s to the early stages of the 20th century. According to Allan Estus, director of the Chenango County Historical Society, it would be a great addition to the organization’s growing collection of exhibits and showrooms.
“Our mission is in education and preservation of our heritage ... this certainly fits our mission,” Estus said. “It will renew interest in development of exhibits.”
The barn, previously located in the Town of Smithville, was professionally dismantled and will be a donation to the Chenango County Historical Society by the structure’s current owner. Presently, the dismantled barn is being stored in a milk house on the owner’s property while the association researches the building codes and procedures needed in reconstructing the barn in the city.
“There is a lot of research in answering some of the questions,” Estus added. “Some are unanswered questions.”
For the time being, the historical society plans to move forward with the project, setting their sights on a goal that will take a great deal of time, fundraising efforts and donations. The estimated cost of the project – from dismantling and transporting the structure, to rebuilding it onsite – is nearly $200,000. Estus has made it his goal to reach this amount and begin breaking ground for the structure within the next two years.
“Hopefully it will be opened by September 2013. It all depends on fundraising and the answers to those questions,” he said.
The story of the barn is a story of Chenango County. Examined diaries and town records show that the barn was built by two Chenango County residents nearly 150 years ago, and though the wear of the barn is evidence of its prior use for storing hay and housing horses, the strength of the structure is nothing of concern, according to Estus.
Though the historical society does not currently have enough exhibits that characterize the proposed time period of the barn, it plans to seek donations in the future. The association is hoping that those who do not wish to donate items of sentimental value will be willing to display them in the barn as part of a temporary feature.
“Our backbone is and continues to be agriculture,” Estus added. “This barn fits in well with our structure of Chenango County.”
More information about the Chenango County Historical Society is available by calling 334-9227.