the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Burr-Deacon Barn Raising
180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060
Saturday, September 30, 2023 from 11:00am to 2:00pm
Westampton NJ, Historic barns are being taken down more often than being preserved in New Jersey. The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of New Jersey (NSCDA-NJ), also known as the Colonial Dames of New Jersey, is pleased to announce the Burr-Deacon Barn Raising, taking place on Saturday, September 30, 2023 from 11:00-2:00pm at Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060. The rain date will be October 7, 2023 at the same time of day.
The NSCDA-NJ invites the public to be a part of this special event, which will feature a barn raising ceremony dating back to ancient days, with the hanging of a whetting bush on the highest peak of the barn frame for good luck. Guests are invited to bring their own lawn chairs and picnic blankets for light fare on the Peachfield lawn, provided by the NSCDA-NJ. On-site parking is available but limited.
The Burr-Deacon Barn was originally built in 1875 on the Deacon Farm, across Burr’s Road from Peachfield, headquarters of the NSCDA-NJ. The Burr-Deacon Barn was given to the
NSCDA-NJ in 2014 at the bequest of Miss Mildred Deacon. After years of planning and preparation, reframing and refurbishment of the original beams, the NSCDA-NJ broke ground in September 2022, completing the foundation for the Burr-Deacon Barn.
The Burr-Deacon Barn Raising will launch this next phase of the reconstruction project, which will complete the frame, siding, and roof of the main section of the Burr-Deacon Barn. Original carpenter’s marks from 1875 are still clearly visible on the original beams. The NSCDA-NJ will use the Burr-Deacon Barn as a space to expand its historical and educational programming for the local community.
Carpenter Jack Witherington of Methods and Materials in Gilbertsville, PA, led the timber framing and reconditioning work of the original historic beams. The construction team is led by its principal Brad Smith of Cullen Construction in Wayne, PA. The architecture team was led by Michele Thackrah of Archer & Buchanan of Philadelphia, PA. The Burr-Deacon Barn Project Committee of the NSCDA-NJ is chaired by Daryl Albury. Marilyn Prado is the President of the NSCDA-NJ.
The NSCDA-NJ is a women’s lineage society devoted to furthering an appreciation of our national heritage through historic preservation, patriotic service, and educational projects. The NSCDA was founded in 1891 and exists today as an unincorporated association of 45 corporate state societies with more than 15,000 members worldwide. The NSCDA-NJ was founded in 1892. Peachfield, a Quaker farmstead house museum, is registered on the National and New Jersey Register of Historic Places.
