Drake Farmstead Large Barn, The Watershed Institute

Mills + Schnoering Architects was retained by the Watershed Institute to prepare a Preservation Plan and Concept Design Study for the Large Barn located within the National Register-eligible Andrew & Hannah Drake Farmstead/Brookdale Farm Historic District. The Watershed Institute is an important regional environmental organization that preserves land and water and advocates for responsible environmental stewardship, particularly within New Jersey’s Stony Brook Millstone Watershed.

The Large Barn was constructed in several phases in the English timber frame tradition. The main block comprises two separate sections, one five bays wide and the other three bays. The goal of the project was to design a program of restoration and rehabilitation that would allow the building’s early-mid 19th century character to be preserved, while upgrading its functionality to meet existing and future needs. Concept designs were created that envisioned the Barn as a venue for public and community events, as well as additional support space for the work of the Watershed.