Big Plans Brew For A Barn At Madoo - 27 East

Residence

Residence / 1378399

Big Plans Brew For A Barn At Madoo

icon 3 Photos
The barn at Madoo is in for a major renovation. COURTESY ALEJANDRO SARALEGUI

The barn at Madoo is in for a major renovation. COURTESY ALEJANDRO SARALEGUI

The barn at Madoo is in for a major renovation. COURTESY ALEJANDRO SARALEGUI

The barn at Madoo is in for a major renovation. COURTESY ALEJANDRO SARALEGUI

One of the first orders of business will be to add a foundation to the barn at Madoo. COURTESY ALEJANDRO SARALEGUI

One of the first orders of business will be to add a foundation to the barn at Madoo. COURTESY ALEJANDRO SARALEGUI

author27east on Oct 31, 2016

The first time the artist and gardener Robert Dash visited a particular 2-acre plot of land in Sagaponack, he saw a cow—and endless potential.He was standing in a circa-1740 barn, which would become his painting studio in the rambling garden he called Madoo, now a horticultural treasure, conservancy—and future home to a residency for gardeners and artists alike, following in the tradition and footsteps of the late Mr. Dash himself.

But before the residency program can begin, the original barn, and the summer home attached to it, will need a major face-lift.

With approvals from the Town of Southampton Landmarks & Historic Districts Board and Village of Sagaponack Architectural and Historic Review Board in place, the $1.1 million restoration was slated to begin this week, according to Bridgehampton architect Kathrine McCoy. They will start with the barn’s foundation, or lack thereof.

“The barn itself, which is the studio, does not have a foundation and it is, we suspect, on locust posts. We won’t really know the full extent of how much damage there is to the floor joists of the structure until we lift the building,” she explained during a recent telephone interview. “But it’s likely that they’re in pretty poor condition, because they’re likely in contact with the ground.”

Once the building is braced and stabilized, it will be lifted. The ground underneath is scheduled to be excavated next week for the foundation’s footings, walls and new floor joists. After four to six weeks, the barn will be put back down on its new foundation before phase two begins.

“On the studio itself, there are currently big tarps on the roof because the shingles are paper-thin in places and it leaks like a sieve, and the sidewall shingles need replacing,” Ms. McCoy said. “It’s a drafty building at all times.”

Once the 30-by-50-foot barn is rewired and the furnace is replaced, work will begin on the façade, Ms. McCoy said. This will include fresh shingle siding, exterior trim and new windows and doors.

“The intent is for the building to appear as it always has once the shingle siding is weathered,” she said of the future studio, which will be used by artist-residents who stay in the summer house. “There’s not much, in terms of exterior materials, that can be salvaged. It will be new and improved, but it will be exactly as it was. And it will be weather-tight, stable and strong, and hopefully there for another 100 years or more.”

Attached to the 25-foot-tall barn are two 19th-century sheds that were connected to each other in the 1980s, and that make up the summer residence. Their interiors will remain the same, Ms. McCoy said, but new windows, siding and roofing will be installed.

“It’s not going to be different, it’s just going to be freshened up. The barn is in much poorer condition than the summer house—in need of a lot more TLC. The barn is desperate, the summer house is to complete the whole building,” she said. “We are hoping to be ready to open for the summer season next year, so May 2017.”

It is unclear whether the residency will be under way by then, according to Madoo Conservancy Director Alejandro Saralegui, as it is still in its infancy.

“With two residences on the property, it would be a shame not to use them to their fullest,” he said in a recent email. “We are thinking that the shoulder seasons would be the most logical times to run the proposed residency program. We’re still trying to figure out the parameters of who we would like to invite to stay at Madoo for one- or two-month-long residencies.

“Additionally, we are considering a season-long residency for trained gardeners at Madoo,” he continued. “With increased visitor-ship from programming, tours and open days, we have a greater need for gardeners on a daily basis. Creating a garden residency at Madoo would be a wonderful opportunity for a young gardener—and the garden would benefit.”

You May Also Like:

Living Lands and Landscape Therapy

Levi was nipping at Tim Wheeler’s ankles as he walked down our driveway, wearing a ... 27 Mar 2025 by Kelly Ann Smith

Andrea Barnet To Speak to Westhampton Garden Club on April 7

Andrea Barnet, the author of “Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall and ... 25 Mar 2025 by Staff Writer

Pot Them, Don't Plant Them

We once called it gardening by mail. You received a catalog from, let’s say, Wayside ... by Andrew Messinger

The March Garden Ramble

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with the members of the Remsenburg Garden ... 22 Mar 2025 by Andrew Messinger

AIA Peconic and Southampton Arts Center Present 'City Dreamers' Screening for Women's History Month

You can find important pieces of women’s history all around. It can be in the ... 17 Mar 2025 by Jon Winkler

Clematis: The Queen of Vines

This week a continued look at the Queen of Vines, the Clematis. Hopefully, after reading ... 13 Mar 2025 by Andrew Messinger

Marders Offers Free Sunday Garden Talks

Marders in Bridgehampton continues its series of free Sunday garden talks this spring. On March 16, the topic is The How & Why of Self-Sowing Seeds. No-Till Gardening, on the benefits of using compost, plant waste wood chops and cardboard in lieu of tilling, follows on March 23. Choosing and Using Hydrangeas will close out the month on March 30. April 6 is Planning a Potager, on how to combine herbs, vegetables and flowers in one beautiful garden. April 13 is How & When To Start Any Kind of Seed in Zone 7a. After taking Easter Sunday off, the talks ... 11 Mar 2025 by Staff Writer

Clematis Is Easier To Grow Than You Think

It’s been over a decade since I’ve written about Clematis, and while you may think ... 6 Mar 2025 by Andrew Messinger

Hampton Bays Water District Embarks on Sweeping Replacement of Meters, Billing Software To Boost Efficiency, Cut Waste

Residents who are serviced by the Hampton Bays Water District will be getting upgraded water ... by Michael Wright

Merrell Will Present on Maycroft 'Reinterpretation'

On Sunday, March 23, at Christ Episcopal Church in Sag Harbor, architect James Merrell of ... by Staff Writer