Swart-Wilcox barn project in Oneonta seeks final funding push
The Swart-Wilcox House Museum in Oneonta is closing in on its fundraising goal to relocate a historic barn to the property, but needs the community's help for the final push.
The property's original barn, which dated to the 1790s, was an English threshing barn that stood until 1969, when the city fire department burned it down in a training exercise, likely because it had become an attractive nuisance to local children.
The donated barn, also an English threshing barn but from the 1860s, was donated by David and Penny Wightman and will be used for community events and storage of historical artifacts. The barn will include climate-controlled storage and accessible facilities.
A corn crib outbuilding from the 1820s currently stands on the property. The future site of the barn has been marked out with yellow tape.
The property on which the house is located has been owned by the city since 1972. However, the museum is a separate entity served by volunteers from The Friends of Swart-Wilcox nonprofit organization.
The group hopes to start the barn project this summer and complete the restoration by July of next year so that it may be used as a focal point of Oneonta's America 250 celebration activities, just as the property had been during the Bicentennial in 1976.
The Swart-Wilcox House is the oldest standing structure in the city of Oneonta. Originally the Lawrence Swart family homestead, it later became part of an active farmstead owned by Henry Wilcox and his family, producing grains, apples and vegetables for the local community.
The Wilcox family lived on the property for more than 100 years, from 1865 to 1970, when the last member of the family, Merton Wilcox, died.
As part of its mission, the museum provides on-site educational programs for local students, a popular series of Sunday programming in the summer highlighting Oneonta history, tours of the house and its Victorian era furnishings and a location for the preservation of its collection of historical documents and artifacts.
Museum president Helen Rees said Friday, April 4 that the group has raised close to 80% of its goal of $572,000 through local donors and grants, and needs $118,000 to make the dream a reality.
Before the project can be put out to bid, the entire amount must be secured because the barn would be owned by the city, which frowns on committing to projects that may be underfunded and therefore not completed.
The group is determined to keep its promise from 1990, when a group of teachers took over turning the house into a museum, to not use taxpayer money to fund the museum.
'When we, as four teachers, went to the city and said we'd like to turn the house into the focal point for the fourth grade local history curriculum, the mayor said, and I quote, 'You can do anything you want, as long as you do not cost the taxpayers any money,'' Rees said.
A benefactor named Richard Applebaugh donated an annuity which has allowed the city to take the interest and maintain the property's expenses, she added.
Norma Slawson said that more than 100 individual donors have made contributions to the barn fundraiser, 'which really shows the community support. It's just a matter of getting that next $118,000.'
'If we are to get the barn here in time for the America 250, we have to start work soon,' Rees said. 'The sooner we do it, the less expensive it will be. The longer we wait, we are not going to be in control of those price changes, I suspect.'
The community is encouraged to donate to meet the funding goal. The only form of payment accepted currently is by check. Anyone interested in donating can mail a check to Treasurer Loraine Taylor, 2525 Rich Road, Oneonta NY 13820. Checks should be made out to Swart-Wilcox House museum with 'barn project' in the memo line. All contributions are tax-exempt.
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