NORWICH – The Chenango County Historical Society is moving ahead in a long-term project that will ultimately resurrect a dismantled 19th century barn on the vacant lot behind the museum on Rexford Street.

The undertaking was first brought about by the CCHS committee last year, when the barn was donated by previous owner Dick Ridgway of Tyner. The structure, built in 1867 and originally stood along County Road 3 in Tyner, was professionally dismantled and currently sits in pieces inside a milk house on the Ridgway’s property.

“Our hope is to have the barn reconstructed on our campus to use for exhibits on farming and agriculture,” explained CCHS Curator Meghan Molloy. According to Molloy, members of the historical society are in the midst of planning the fundraising efforts to finally move forward with the project.

After the barn is erected, plans are to fill it with the collection of post Civil War era farming equipment currently on display in the basement of the county museum. Not to overlap with similar displays at the Farmer’s Museum in nearby Cooperstown, CCHS will only use the barn for agricultural equipment wielded from the 1860’s through the early parts of the 20th century, explained Molloy. A potential barn exhibit would also free up space in the CCHS building to house additional indoor exhibits and archival records too, she said.