Save the Barn at Colden House!
Donation protected
Hand hewn post and beam houses are rare today... let alone ones from 1770! But thankfully, for the Thomas Colden House, originally part of the Cadwallader Colden family estate in the Hudson Valley NY, things are looking up. Thirty acres remain of this once vast estate along with roads, schools, and the communities bearing the name of the Colden family.
This property has survived all the generations since before the American revolution. Other early homes and farms have struggled to survive. The Colden Mansion Ruins is such a place at the corner of 17K and Stone Castle Road.
As the current keepers of this piece of history, the effort to restore and preserve the main house has been ongoing over the last four years. We are blown away and more and more impressed by the craftsmanship we uncover every time we begin a new corner of restoration! And guess what?
The barn is just as amazing! Carving out a place to live in the then wild Hudson Valley was a task requiring great skill! Huge trees were turned into mammoth hand hewn timbers, and assembled into lasting structures to house their families and farms.
These massive beams were joined with hand cut mortise and tenon joints, each carefully 'labeled' with 'marriage marks' to make sure each custom joint matched perfectly.
All held in place these centuries by wooden pegs. That is work worth preserving!
The vision for the barn is simple. Bring back the rustic character and charm while preserving every ounce of history! Can you see it repurposed into an amazing venue? ...Imaging the weddings, family reunions, and community events to be had! A place where families and communities can make new history!
We also see ourselves as a place where classrooms of kids from East Coldenham Elementary come for a visit to see and touch this monument to the past... along with a demo or two of how a hand hewn beam is made or the chance to examine some hand wrought nails - so cool!
Or how about a kids art day? We have heard of the fun the Wallkill River School has and would love to see that happen on a beautiful summer day at this historic site!
Sadly though, with personal funds tied up in the house restorations, barn restoration funds are just not available :( Can we wait another 10 years (or however long it would take us to manage it) to give her the new roof she desperately needs? Mostly the answer is no... not if we want there to be much left to restore! Each winter brings more deterioration and decay.
Would you like to help us save her?? The roof must be our first priority... along with structural repairs and the poor floor...
Roof: $40,000 minimum
Structural repairs: $20,000
Floor replacement: $15,000
Your contributions will help the barn stand proudly with the house again... possibly for another 250 years! Please be assured that no donation is too small! Let's save this piece of history while we still can!
instagram: @savingcoldenbarn
website: https://thebarnatcoldenhouse.com/
Currently, to support restorations and future plans to bring the property back to life, the house and Creamery are available as vacation rentals. Our guests are making a big contribution to the preservation of this historic gem plus have the chance to appreciate the property first hand. Come stay with us!
Thomas Colden House - built 1770
The Creamery - now a charming guest house
This property has survived all the generations since before the American revolution. Other early homes and farms have struggled to survive. The Colden Mansion Ruins is such a place at the corner of 17K and Stone Castle Road.
As the current keepers of this piece of history, the effort to restore and preserve the main house has been ongoing over the last four years. We are blown away and more and more impressed by the craftsmanship we uncover every time we begin a new corner of restoration! And guess what?
The barn is just as amazing! Carving out a place to live in the then wild Hudson Valley was a task requiring great skill! Huge trees were turned into mammoth hand hewn timbers, and assembled into lasting structures to house their families and farms.
These massive beams were joined with hand cut mortise and tenon joints, each carefully 'labeled' with 'marriage marks' to make sure each custom joint matched perfectly.
All held in place these centuries by wooden pegs. That is work worth preserving!
The vision for the barn is simple. Bring back the rustic character and charm while preserving every ounce of history! Can you see it repurposed into an amazing venue? ...Imaging the weddings, family reunions, and community events to be had! A place where families and communities can make new history!
We also see ourselves as a place where classrooms of kids from East Coldenham Elementary come for a visit to see and touch this monument to the past... along with a demo or two of how a hand hewn beam is made or the chance to examine some hand wrought nails - so cool!
Or how about a kids art day? We have heard of the fun the Wallkill River School has and would love to see that happen on a beautiful summer day at this historic site!
Sadly though, with personal funds tied up in the house restorations, barn restoration funds are just not available :( Can we wait another 10 years (or however long it would take us to manage it) to give her the new roof she desperately needs? Mostly the answer is no... not if we want there to be much left to restore! Each winter brings more deterioration and decay.
Would you like to help us save her?? The roof must be our first priority... along with structural repairs and the poor floor...
Roof: $40,000 minimum
Structural repairs: $20,000
Floor replacement: $15,000
Your contributions will help the barn stand proudly with the house again... possibly for another 250 years! Please be assured that no donation is too small! Let's save this piece of history while we still can!
instagram: @savingcoldenbarn
website: https://thebarnatcoldenhouse.com/
Currently, to support restorations and future plans to bring the property back to life, the house and Creamery are available as vacation rentals. Our guests are making a big contribution to the preservation of this historic gem plus have the chance to appreciate the property first hand. Come stay with us!
Thomas Colden House - built 1770
The Creamery - now a charming guest house
Organizer
Colden House
Organizer
Little Britain, NY
