Once such an integral part of the local culture that it appeared on the cover of “The New Yorker” magazine, the Aspetuck Apple Barn in Easton, which closed some time ago, is undergoing rehabilitation with an eye toward completion next month.
Its owner, Aquarion Water Company, is renovating the barn as it looks to find a new tenant, said Peter Fazekas, director of corporate communication.
“We’re looking for a business that will be of interest to the community,” he said. The property would work for such businesses as a country store, a nursery or a farm stand, he added.
The barn is located at 714 Black Rock Turnpike (Route 58). “We have an office on the same property,” Fazekas said. “Our environmental management office is right next door. If you need a fishing permit, you go there.”
He said there has been some interest, and he expects Aquarion will start looking for a new tenant in June, when the renovations should be complete.
“Depending on who the tenant is, I can’t tell you when they will move in,” Fazekas said. “I assume late summer, that would be my guess.”
The Apple Barn’s roots trace back to the early 1900s, when Bridgeport Hydraulic Company owned large tracts of land in the area, including the apple orchards and the barn itself. It transformed through the years into a well-loved establishment, selling unique gift items, fresh soups, pies, jams, specialty food items, fresh baked goods, flowers, fruits, honey, vegetables, cheeses and seasonal items such as Christmas trees.
When its latest owner, Don Simpson, fell ill in 2021 and closed the barn, local residents watered plants and sold the outdoor inventory. The group, led by Cathy Dunsby, was able to raise $4,700 selling plants and pumpkins.
Dunsby welcomed the news of the barn reopening.
“It will be exciting to see a new business open in that historic, much-loved location,” said Dunsby. “I think the community will welcome a new tenant with open arms.”
Back in 1962, Westport artist Garrett Price’s depiction of the hectic scene in front of the Aspetuck Apple Barn during a fall weekend was featured on the cover of “The New Yorker‘s” Nov. 10 issue.
You can read more about the Aspetuck Apple Barn’s colorful past in historian Bruce Nelson’s articles about the popular site.
Aspetuck Valley Orchards & the Apple Barn
The Apple Barn – A Slice of Easton History
