The Old Carriage Barn

The old carriage barn may be the oldest building on the farm. No date of construction has yet been found. It connected the ell of the house through a breezeway to the big barn. The buildin measures 28 x 60 feet and is entirely built with timber milled on an up-and-down saw. Originally the barn housed the family’s carriages and assorted farm equipment. Between the north end of the building and the big barn was a “three holer” for the use of the family. Up a set of rickety stairs, the attic of the carriage barn was called the Corn Chamber with a passage above the three holer to the tie up floor of the big barn. Also, the attic held several large wooden bins for grain. The knee wall in the attic and a change in the pitch of the roof made the space large enough to support the farm animals through the winter. The building was not sturdy when it was decided to renovate the Sanborn Barn. So, it was hauled up the hill and placed next to the Barden Barn, where its first use was as the gardeners’ potting shed and for storage of construction equipment and materials. As of the spring of 2024 the plan is to use the building as a welcome center, a farm stand for the farm’s production, and merchandise store next to the visitor parking.