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In Haddam's heart, a barn did stand,
A historic charm, a cherished land.
Its timbers spoke of days of yore,
Of Haddam's past, it was the core.
But winds of change blew fierce and strong,
Progress called, and sang its song.
With heavy hearts and tearful eyes,
The barn must bid its sad goodbyes.
The sun above looked down to see,
The barn's demise, a legacy. In Haddam's memory,
it'll stay, As history's echo, come what may.
With gentle touch and reverent grace,
The barn was laid to its resting place.
Amidst the dust and fallen beams,
The spirit of the barn still gleams.
Though gone it is, its story lives,
In tales passed on, that time forgives.
A piece of Haddam's soul it'll be,
Forever etched in memory.
-Mike Karam, 2023 (with permission)
On Friday, August 4, 2023, Haddam lost one of its most iconic landmark buildings. It was the unfortunate perfect storm of an unsafe and dangerous building, deficient maintenance and care, and lack of funds.
The magnificent Hazenhurst Barn is no more. The building was a hybrid consisting of a 19th century barn which was moved from just south of the Old Burial Yard joined with another barn. The enlarged barn was used by gentleman farmer, Edward Hazen as a dairy farm. In the mid-20th century, the barn became home to the Vallera cider and apple business. It was purchased by the current owner as a part of the adjacent business. The barn was a contributing building to the Haddam Center National Register Historic District and identified as a significant barn structure by Preservation Connecticut.
How can this be prevented from happening again? It is time to be proactive and find methods to encourage owners to respect and maintain our community’s landmarks.
The Haddam Historical Society is establishing a Preservation Task Force to look into constructive ways to PROTECT our town’s historic buildings, particularly those threatened by demolition either by neglect or on purpose. This could include tax credits or other tax incentives, as well as advice and other assistance. Haddam could create a town appointed Historic Review Committee to encourage preservation and oversee demolition permits. Haddam could adopt local preservation ordinances. The meeting will have both state officials and preservation professional speakers to help us understand what steps can be taken to avoid this happening again.
The Society already has a list of “endangered” buildings including the White House owned by Regional School District #17 and the Middlesex County Jail. If you are interested in joining and attending the meeting, please email us at contact@haddamhistory.org.
The first meeting will be in September with representatives from Preservation Connecticut, whose mission is to “preserve, protect, and promote the buildings, sites, and landscapes that contribute to the heritage and vitality of Connecticut communities.” They offer assistance through programming, assistance and granting.
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