|
In 1870, the County of Suffolk purchased a 170-acre farm outside the small rural village of Yaphank in central Long Island. A small farmhouse and barns were on the property. In 1871, the county hired Charles Hallet, a well-known builder who practiced in the Town of Riverhead, to construct the main almshouse, nearby Children's Home, and the large nominated hay barn (built as an adjunct to the existing farmstead).
The Haybarn combines the form and construction techniques of Long Island's vernacular building practices with popular late nineteenth-century architectural detail, a mixture which is rarely found on any Long Island farm support buildings. The rectangular form, massive timber frames construction, wood shingle sheathing and absence of ornament are the primary characteristics of the conservative building tradition which was pervasive on Long Island from the 1650's to the late nineteenth century. In addition, the barn also features a picturesque profile, broad roof overhangs, prominent cupolas, Gothic profile dormers and paneled doors, all characteristics of the mid-to-late nineteenth century taste for picturesque architectural treatment in utilitarian buildings.
Called today, The Historic Haybarn, it is a well-recognized local landmark in the suburban community of Yaphank, which was a sparsely-settled farming village at the time the almshouse complex was established. The large, architecturally-significant farm support building remains as a prominent and only surviving building associated with Suffolk County's nineteenth century almshouse, an important local social and service institution.
The Suffolk County Farm and Education Center is still owned by Suffolk County and has been operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County since 1974.