Havens House barn gets a helping hand
Janalyn Travis-Messer, Jean McClintock (Red Hat Mamas
president), Janet Mundus, Phyllis Wallace, Ray Karen, Wyatt
Fokine, and Bernard Gillespie; second row, Belle Lareau, Pat
Mundus, Christina Cunningham, Kia Pedersen, Elizabeth Pedersen,
Stephanie Lebowitz and Deborah Klein; back row, Joe Cunningham,
Carl Norr, Bill Anderson, Chris Fokine, Roger Bales and Jim
Pugh.
Despite periods of rain all day on Sunday, April 25, 20 volunteers made up the Shelter Island Historical Society Barn Buddies work crew to lay down a new plywood floor in the society’s Havens House barn. The collection of antique farming, fishing and ice harvesting equipment had to be moved before flooring work began, so many hands carried a lot of gear.
Shelter Island’s Red Hat Mamas made a red hot donation; a generous donation of 40 sheets of 1/2-inch plywood to help us make our barn available for everyone in the community. We can’t thank them enough.
Just as importantly, Fokine Construction owner Chris Fokine, his son Wyatt and pal Ray Karen led the labor team. The boys snapped lines and showed the rest of the folks just how to lay down a 2,400-square-foot floor. Chris saw the value of our volunteers and jumped right in with his company’s tools and the expertise to help us; we are really grateful!
The rain stopped at noon, the BBQ was lit and the Barn Buddies enjoyed a hearty, well-deserved, cook-out lunch. The floor was completed by the end of the afternoon. “Exceptional work by an exceptional team,” Board President Belle Lareau said.
The society will be celebrating mortise and tenon barn architecture and will be able to use the noble barn structure for a number of educational programs, shows and gatherings this season.
Historical Society Director