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For the Crossens’ project, three cupolas were made to look like the originals and were set by large cranes.
“Because of its historic significance, we felt the property was worth preserving. It is one of the few remaining New England farms left intact since its origin. One must consider the overall value of a property to determine whether or not a restoration is warranted and if one has the resources and stamina to see the project through to completion.” Today, this masterpiece is their home, and it is the quintessential New England farm that would easily be the subject of a painting or postcard.
An Old Farm in the New Millennium In North Andover, MA, there is another historic New England barn that was actively used until the 1990s, and it is all that remains of what was a 500-acre farm and is now the site of a retirement community. Almost all the buildings have been razed except the classic bank barn, built into a bank so that both ground and main floors are open to groundlevel access. The majestic white structure with green sliding pocket doors on both ends stands tall and proud, and the farm’s memory is still alive thanks to Susan Walsh—teacher, race track official, and now author. She has boarded her ponies and racehorses there since 1968.
Edgewood Farm, as it was called, is remembered fondly by many local horse people. Its manager, Woody Follett, the Stevens family who owned it, and the champion Welsh Ponies that were bred and shown there made their mark in the history of the area. Susan still keeps four of her Thoroughbred horses there, three of whom she and her husband, Jim, bred and raised on the property. With the farm so much a part of her life (she and Jim lived in one of the houses on the property for a time), Susan was inspired to write a book about it before it could be forgotten. In Edgewood: An Old Farm in the New Millennium, she relates much of history of this pastoral farm and its buildings, the nearby lake, and surrounding trails. Her love for Edgewood is reflected in her words and in the many beautiful photographs she took of it during its heyday. It is bittersweet for her to be the only remaining boarder now and to serve as its steward, of sorts. The 100' x 42' barn, designed by George S. Cole of Andover, and built in 1881, is the keystone of this beautiful retirement facility, where part of the sales agreement was to keep the barn. Once filled with stalls and horses that enjoyed delicious cross-breezes from the two open doorways flanking the 12' center aisle, the main
level is now gutted and used for storage of equipment, while equines still reside at ground level. At the time the property was developed, it looked structurally sound and maybe a little in need of repair, Susan says, but closer inspection revealed structural weaknesses. Steel crossbeams were installed, and old vertical beams were sistered to square up the structure. Restoration took about a year. An effort was made by the contractors to keep the barn as authentic as possible, so some changes were made, including the removal of all shutters and a set of outer doors that Susan said actually kept the rain from coming in. It was determined that they were not original to the design. Without them, however, water does seep in at times. During this process, her horses lived in the small square barn moved nearby, with access to paddocks that recall the oncepastoral scenes enjoyed there. Susan was relieved to finally move into the 12' x 12' box stalls built on the bottom level for her. It is clean and bright, though a section of it had once been the manure pit where a truck would wait to be filled from an opening in the floor above. The granite boulder foundation is now whitewashed inside, and the fresh-cut stall boards form a barrier in front of them to prevent the horses from kicking or brushing against the unforgiving, uneven surface. The massive wooden vertical beams that ascend through the ceiling form a natural anchor point for the stalls. Hay is stored ■
The Crossens replaced the original cedar shingles with pressure-treated Southern yellow pine shingles.
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EQUINE JOURNAL
| 2013 Barn & Arena Guide
PHOTO: COURTESY OF TOM AND SUSAN CROSSEN
(Below) The Crossens’ property was formerly known as the Booth–Dimock Homestead and is shown here as it looked in 1926.