The Restoration of the Barns at Fairview Farm

With farms disappearing from our landscape, the barns at Fairview Farm in Bedminster remain a complete assembly of structures illustrative of our agricultural past. They were constructed in the early 1800's with hand axed native oak beams and connected by hand cut pinned joints. The Upper Raritan Watershed Association acquired stewardship of these important historic buildings in 1973 when Roberta Zuhlke donated the former dairy farm to the Association.

In the late 1990’s URWA’s Board of Trustees, concerned about the visibly deteriorating roofs and siding, made a decision that stabilization of the barns was critical to their preservation. Experts determined that the structures were sound, but in dire need of restoration and repair. Vintage Barns of High Falls, New York began the work on December 18, 2000. A stripping away of aluminum siding revealed decayed corner posts and dry-rotted siding. Vintage Barn finished their work on May 15, 2001. In 2005, the project received a Historic Preservation Award by the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills.

Today, the structure is sound, the hardware restored, the roof replaced and all five buildings are painted in hunter green with white trim (the original colors). This project preserved a historic treasure while enhancing the Association's mission. The buildings hold the equipment used to maintain the wildlife preserve, a nature education classroom is located in northeast corner of the main barn and the structures are the centerpiece of URWA’s annual Old Fashioned Country Fair.