Tucked away behind Compass Realty and the J.McLaughlin clothing store at 54100 Main Rd. in Southold is an old barn, lifted on stilts and closed off to the public.
The roughly 175-year-old structure on Mechanic Street historically served as a workshop for artisans of many disciplines, a place where creativity, craftsmanship and artistic expression flourished.
Now, local builderGlenn Heidtmannand his partners — who own the lot — are behind a project to stabilize and preserve it, while creating a new area for artists to utilize.
“At the end of the day, it’s going to be something that’s pretty special,” Mr. Heidtmann said during a tour of the property last week. “The idea to go through this expense and hard work is to utilize the space for an artist workshop, which can be anything to do with art in the town of Southold.”
The planned “Art Barn” would act as a space for artists to get away from home to work. Mr. Heidtmann said he knows many local artists who are constantly searching for workspace and believes the barn could accommodate four or five artists at a time.
It would not act as a shop or gallery space for selling artwork.
Visitors would eventually be able to walk to the barn through a pathway from Main Road. The entrance would sit between the shops and Einstein Square,which Mr. Heidtmann was instrumental in installing in 2019.
Mr. Heidtmann said all of the work — Einstein Square, the café, apartments and now the Art Barn — represents millions of dollars invested back into the community.
“Seven years later, we’re expanding the community. That’s really what this is,” he said.
The future gravel pathway would lead visitors directly to the barn, where plans call for fresh landscaping, sculpture installations and other outdoor uses throughout the year. The owners have also discussed hosting small farmers markets featuring local vendors.
Source: The Suffolk Times
