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The designation by the National Park Service on Jan. 30, placing the farm on the National Register of Historic Places, could be the key that will lead to grants needed to restore the farm's deteriorating massive red barn, said lohud.com.
Rockland County and the Town of Clarkstown paid $6.5 million to Jim and Pat Cropsey in 2006 for the farm. The Cropsey's still live in the main farmhouse and will continue to do so for $1 a year for life, added lohud.com.
Called one of the finest's examples of New World Dutch barn construction, the county and Clarkstown have agreed to spend $900,000 needed to bring it back to life now that it is officially "historic," the newspaper said.
The farm, built before the Revolutionary War, was run by Jim Cropsey's family until it was purchased by in 2006. His family’s farming history goes back at least a century, he told lohudd.com.
And although the main farmhouse and land are in pristine condition, the barn is in bad shape and Jim Cropsey and his wife Pat, told lohud.com the new owners haven’t been keeping up the barn.
Now they, and other historic places lovers, are hoping the new designation will bring the needed funds to rebuild the barn to its former glory.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, who also wrote a letter encouraging the designation, said there are a variety of tax credits and grants available to make the rebuild happen.
Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann told lohud.com that the town and county have discussed soliciting grants and allocating money for the project.
County Executive Day, who is a longtime supporter of the farm, told lohud.com that his main concern was that federal money might come with strings attached.
Day said the county’s engineer, is set to meet with Clarkstown and other stakeholders this week to come up with a plan to move forward, said lohud.com.
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