The Partial Observer by Helen Rees
Barn Project Moving Right Along at Swart-Wilcox House
Good news! The Swart-Wilcox barn project has been making great progress this summer! Started three years ago with an article in “The Freeman’s Journal” titled “To Barn or Not To Barn…That is the Question,” the dream is now becoming a reality. A lot of hard work and community support has gone into this project. The goal was to create a barn that would replicate the 1790 English threshing barn built by Lawrence Swart, one of Oneonta’s earliest settlers.
The success of the SW Summer Sunday Series had shown a need for a meeting area to present programs and workshops. A climate controlled storage area was also needed for the growing collection of unique Oneonta artifacts. A barn seemed the obvious solution, as a barn would also complete the image of the Swart-Wilcox House Museum as an early farm and homestead.
And now…the barn shell is almost complete, the utilities are currently being installed, and the inside finishing details should be done by October. The climate-controlled storage area side of the barn will be up and functioning by this fall, so our Swart-Wilcox local collections of unique items will be safe and secure from the elements this winter. This has been a major goal of our efforts.
Three years in the making, this project has faced several major hurtles, from delayed contracts to increased prices. However, the community has been most understanding and supportive of our efforts, despite these delays.
All work is being done by local contractors and at this point is ahead of the revised schedule. It has been interesting to see the Swart-Wilcox site proceed from a wooded area, to a barren landscape, to a deep hole, to a concrete flat surface, to skeleton ribs going up only to be covered with a roof, and finally the siding making it a complete building. The mysteries of the inside are still hidden by the metal construction fence, which makes this process so interesting to the outside observer.
As all of us have noticed, the cost of everything keeps going up, and this is true of the barn project as well. A 15 percent contingency fee has been added to the total cost of the project, and so our nonprofit fund-raising efforts continue. Donations can be sent to PO Box 1415, Oneonta, NY 13820. To learn more about this project and the museum, visit https://swartwilcoxhouse.wordpress.com.
The good news is that all will be revealed soon, as plans are being made for a formal dedication of this most anticipated and needed additional space. This event should be taking place mid-October and one and all are invited to help us celebrate. So see you soon!
Helen Rees is the president of Friends of Swart-Wilcox, a nonprofit organization which plans, oversees, and runs the programs and maintenance of the City of Oneonta-owned Swart-Wilcox House Museum.
