The North Avenue streetscape will soon change.
The handsome red barn near the corner of Long Lots Road is slated for demolition.
Several handsome trees have already been cut.
The barn has been part of the neighborhood for decades.
Fortunately, it is in a residential neighborhood. So they can’t put a bank there.
Right?
ugh! who in his or her right mind would destroy something so beautiful? How sad to see another lovely part of Westport taken away forever.
Barns like that can be dismantled and sold. Considering the bargain-price the new owners paid, they probably have enough loose change to do that. Compare this to the unfortunate comments made about Goodwill by Tina Dragone. She should said some nasty things; the 7 North Avenue buyers are doing a nasty thing.
It is such a shame that such a handsome building would demolished. It is one of a few unique buildings still left in Westport.
Plans to restore the barn were de-railed when the barn and its foundation were declared “structurally unsafe” by a prominent local structural engineer and by the Westport Building Official. The development plan is to replace it with a new post and beam barn of the same size and in the same location. The old barn timbers will be recycled to the extent possisble and the existing house will be restored.
I’m so glad to hear that. I always love driving by that barn.
Great news — thanks for “posting”!
Follow-up: The sign on the barn says “Demolition” — hopefully the old timbers will be saved.
Why?
I had the same initial reaction as everyone else here. How sad! Rick’s explanation goes to show that we shouldn’t be too quick to judge. Still, I wish more of the trees could have somehow been saved.
The previous comment was mine. I forgot to fill in the form at the bottom identifying who I was. It’s a small thing, but I like to take responsibility for my postings.
I run by that piece of property every day and never really noticed it. It was a dark dungeon-bat-cave-like piece of property with little attractiveness. I applaud the efforts of builder Benson to not only “enlighten” the area but apparently keep its original design. However, regarding barns, I am reminded of my Vermonter mother’s opinion of such structures: “Barns are for cows. Not people.” Mooooo!
Rick Benson’s post was just in time and saved me a scathing comment. As Dan will remember, the Pettee’s lived at #43 North Avenue, just up the road from that barn. I’m guessing that the barn is about the last of the Rippe buildings, which is ironic because I now live in a condo in what was Rippe’s Orchard. I think Gordon Mellor or his son, Mark Mellor may have painted that barn (one can Google either or both of the Mellor’s).