Bridgehampton Historical Society Puts On A Barn Tour

Working off its “Farming Families and Traditions” theme for the 2011 principal exhibits, the Bridgehampton Historical Society is holding a barn tour. On Saturday, June 18, starting at 10 a.m., guests are invited to experience a self-guided tour of 10 working barns located in the greater Bridgehampton area.

According to Sally Spanburgh, the Bridgehampton Historical Society’s program coordinator, the idea behind the barn tour was to display “the usefulness and practicality of barns to this day, in 2011.”

When the development of the barn tour first began back in February, Ms. Spanburgh, along with Bridgehampton Historical Society photo archivist and curator, Julie Greene, drove around in search of the barns she said they hoped would be represented in the tour. The main goal was to find a variety of barn types in good condition and safe to visit.

Each of the 10 barns has its own interesting characteristics, including: a partly functioning blacksmith shop, an artist studio, a museum, a barn that has been transformed into a house, a farm that sells cheese and apples, a barn built in the 1870s, and more.

One of the newest and most modern barns on the tour is the Halsey Sprayer barn built in 2004. That structure is used to store machinery.

“There are a lot of house tours out here but the barn tour will allow people to view other kinds of structures and maybe learn something about agriculture,” said John Halsey, who owns the Halsey Sprayer barn.

Another interesting stop on the tour is the Wheelwright Barn, which was built in the 1870s as a blacksmith shop. It is no longer a fully functioning barn but James DeMartis of East Hampton, a professional blacksmith and metal sculptor, holds demonstrations there from time to time.

“I’m involved in order to further educate the public about the tradition of blacksmithing,” Mr. DeMartis said. “On the tour, I’ll be demonstrating traditional blacksmithing techniques, using a coal-fired forge and a hand-crank blower.”

Those who would like to attend the tour can purchase a program at the Bridgehampton Historical Society for $40 and will have the opportunity to choose the barns they wish to visit. Knowledgeable volunteers from the society will be at each barn with a complete history, according to Ms. Spanburgh.

“Participants will have the opportunity to get closer to these interesting pieces of agricultural history and enjoy the spring weather without trespassing,” she said. “They can become more familiar with the history of this community and even enjoy some shopping.”

Keeping up with their agricultural theme, the Bridgehampton Historical Society will also be exhibiting, “Farm Scenes,” an exhibit of artwork featuring local farm views and landscapes by local artists, including Beverly Galban, whose barn is also featured on the tour. The exhibit will run through October 9 at the Corwith House Museum in Bridgehampton.

For additional information on the Bridgehampton Historical Society’s barn tour, or to purchase tickets, call 537-1088 or visit bridgehamptonhistoricalsociety.org.