Kissam Barn restoration moves forward with $50,000 grant

The Huntington Historical Society received a $50,000 matching grant from the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation to help restore the c.1790 Kissam Barn, and an earlier $50,000 grant from the Dormitory Authority will also support the work; renovations are expected to begin next month and finish in the spring.

The Huntington Historical Society will begin renovating the c.1790 Kissam Barn after receiving a $50,000 matching grant from the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation. The barn sits on the Dr. Daniel Kissam House property on Park Avenue and also received a $50,000 grant from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York last fall. Planned work includes replacing siding and updating electrical and lighting systems so the space can host more events. Raf Development Corp. of Huntington Station is slated to perform the restoration, with renovations expected to start next month and be completed in the spring. Project details: - The Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation awarded a $50,000 matching grant to the Huntington Historical Society. - The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York provided a separate $50,000 grant in the fall to support the project. - Planned repairs include replacing the barn siding and updating electrical and lighting systems. - Raf Development Corp. of Huntington Station will carry out the restoration work. - The barn was built circa 1790, originally on the Rogers estate in Lloyd Harbor, and was dismantled and moved to the Kissam property in the 1970s. - The barn currently serves as storage and a venue for events such as the society's Evening of Food & Wine Under the Stars and will be part of semiquincentennial programming. Summary: The grants will fund structural and systems work intended to make the Kissam Barn more usable for events and for interpreting local agricultural history during America's 250th anniversary year. Renovations are slated to begin next month and be completed in the spring.