Work begins bringing the outhouse indoors at Naugles Barn
When the Naugles Barn at the Hallockville Museum Farm was built on Sound Avenue in 1937, like many other barns of that era, indoor plumbing was not on the plans. With an ambitious million-dollar makeover currently underway, the historic Naugles will soon have three indoor restrooms on the west side of the barn along with a extensive list of much-needed updates.
Photos by Deborah Wetzel
Beyond the restrooms, the full scope of the project includes first floor windows and doors, insulation in the walls, a new HVAC system, two new entrances to the barn, an upgraded fire alarm system, a second-floor fireproof staircase leading to a storage area and possibly an office, and a new staircase going into the basement. With this major overhaul, the goal is that the 88-year-old bucolic barn, which opens its doors to weddings, square dances, educational classes, lectures, fairs, festivals and local music a few months a year right now, will become a four-season venue able to stay open for most of the year, attracting more visitors.
“We had a nice porta potty trailer outside, but once the work is done, we’ll have inside restrooms. We’re looking forward to using the barn for a lot of different purposes … [such as] courses, workshops and presentations like our speaker series,” said executive director Heather Johnson. She added that the construction includes an innovative/alternative (IA) septic system that “put the price tag up a bit.”
That part of the project was a bit challenging according to Jeffrey Heidtmann, an owner of Heidtmann & Sons Inc. in Cutchogue. “It’s the new code of putting in septic systems to remove nitrate. It has pumps and filters that need to be changed monthly to be environmentally sound.”
To save the barn’s rustic character, the siding, wood and material that is being removed to make room for the updates is being reclaimed and reused. “Nothing will be thrown away. Some of the wood on site is now framing and trimming the new windows,” Mr. Heidtmann said. As another way to save money on the overhaul without sacrificing the appearance and charm of the barn, he also trucked in windows leftover from other projects.
Phase two of the update includes painting the outside of the barn. “We’re keeping it white, so we don’t change the character of it,” Ms. Johnson said.
All of this activity comes about a year after Ms. Johnson became executive director. “And this is an exciting year for Hallockville because it’s our 50th anniversary. I want to build on all the great work of the people and board members here.” This summer’s annual fundraiser, a twilight barn supper on Aug. 21, will honor the Van de Wetering family.
Hallockville Museum Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Riverhead Town Landmark. The Naugles Barn was built in the 1930s by George Naugles, whose family at the time lived on Sound Avenue. The barn was moved to its current site Hallockville Museum Farm in 1999.
The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) provided a $500,000 matching grant for the construction. Last summer’s barn-raising supper brought in $60,000 and Ms. Johnson said the farm is anticipating raising an additional $440,000 to fund all the improvements. She said she also hopes to get plenty of donations to install an HVAC system in the barn.
“Heating is more important than AC because we want to use the barn all year. This past October, we held the Haunted Long Island Mysteries, but it got cold towards the end. We had portable heaters in the barn which were good if you were near them and no one complained. I did hang around the heater!” Ms. Johnson said.
