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05/17/2017 08:30 AMWith the talent of a seasoned corporate accountant and the will to champion Dudley Farm Museum’s agricultural heritage, Bill Black is powering the fast-moving Dudley Foundation’s Big Barn project.
The three-year, three-phase project to completely restore the gigantic central barn at the North Guilford museum property has already funded and completed Phase 1 (the granary) and is close to adding the finishing touches to Phase 2. With that, Bill and the foundation are focusing on Phase 3, which calls for completely restoring the biggest section of the barn by the end of 2017.
On Sunday, May 21, join Bill and many members of the foundation and Farm Museum family for the third annual Brunch at the Barn to benefit the Big Barn Project. Set in the museum’s beautiful Munger Barn building, the brunch will be built with products from Dudley Farm Museum’s own Farmer’s Market, prepared by The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center. Guests will also be treated to signature mimosas and live music and can participate in a silent auction of specially donated items and services. Tours of the Big Barn complex will show work to date and share the vision of the future of the Big Barn, and what it means to the museum.
“It’s going to add a huge element to the museum. It will probably be the biggest agricultural museum in Connecticut,” says Bill. “The idea with the Big Barn is that everything will be on display. We have a vast collection of tools, equipment, and pictures. We’re also going to have animals in there at the same time [including] stalls in the courtyard, which has also been restored. It’s going to be a great space for exhibits, exhibitions, and performances.”
With the area’s largest collection of locally used agricultural equipment and farm tools from 1860 to 1920, the Big Barn will help Dudley Farm Museum become one of the only agricultural museums of its type not only in Guilford, but in the region. That’s a huge leap forward from the farm museum program founded more than two decades ago, thanks to the foresight of the North Guilford Volunteer Fire Company, bequeathed the 10-acre property and buildings upon David Dudley’s passing in 1991.
Overseeing the property as nonprofit, member-supported organization, the Dudley Foundation and its volunteers maintain the restored farm house, barns, and grounds so visitors can experience North Guilford farm life as it once was.
Building the museum and its programs into the offerings available today took time and effort. It took 10 years of effort alone to bring about the community build of the Munger Barn, which had been donated, piece by piece, and sat in storage for six years while funds were raised. Building the Munger Barn opened many new opportunities for the museum. Bill and his late wife, Ellen Rusconi-Black, had joined in during the time of the Munger Barn raising, literally lending a hand to the community build together with more than 100 volunteers. The couple then continued to support the Dudley Farm Museum.
A few years back, Bill joined the Dudley Foundation board and began serving as assistant treasurer. It wasn’t long before he saw a way to light a fire under what had been a back-burner project for many years—the Big Barn Project.
“There had always been a lot of talk about restoring the Big Barn. Well, I knew the Munger Barn took a little time to get done, so I kind of pushed the Big Barn project. I guess you could definitely say I was the pushing effect on that,” says Bill, smiling.
What pushed Bill to push for the Big Barn project was his idea to approach the project in phases, and his determination to get funds rolling in to underwrite the project as it went along.
“We estimated it would be about a $300,000 cost. I said do it in pieces, so it won’t put a strain on the farm itself. We’ll make sure the Big Barn sits by itself [supported by a] restricted fund. And that’s what we’re doing with the Big Barn.”
With the help of individual donations and matching grants (such as a $5,000 matching grant from North Guilford Volunteer Firefighters) as well as grants from the 1772 Foundation and significant, on-going grant support from non-profit Summer Hill Foundation of Madison, the Big Barn Project has been able to fund the first two phases.
“It’s rolled along quickly only because of Summer Hill Foundation,” notes Bill. “I think we’d be still kicking around second phase without that significant help. We’ve had some good success with matching grants, too. I think that’s a great way to look for money, because it shows the people you approach that you’re willing to have the onus on you to do something. I think people like to see that. If you can get people to buy into the process, you can get anything done. So that’s why I always try to get people to buy into it.”
East Guilford Construction of Madison completed the first two phases. Guilford architect William Thompson of Thompson and Burns, Architects is providing design services and guidance. With a small cushion of funding remaining, in addition to securing a special line of credit loan through Guilford Preservation Alliance (GPA), Bill has the means in place to allow the foundation to go ahead with beginning Phase 3.
Now, the last push is on to gather donations that will pay for the final phase of work and/or pay back any monies the foundation may need to access from the GPA loan.
“I would hope that, by the end of this year, the front part the Big Barn [Phase 3] will be done. That’s the most expensive section, because it’s the biggest piece. But the hope is what will be finished by the end of the year will be the entire barn superstructure.”
As the owner of an historic family farm property (Dragonfly Farm in North Guilford), Bill has a great appreciation for preserving this area’s agricultural history. He’s also served for more than 20 years as treasurer of the Shoreline Outdoor Education Center, another worthwhile Guilford non-profit he and his wife began supporting many years ago.
Ellen, a Guilford native, passed away two years ago. Bill continues her cherished efforts to celebrate her family’s farming heritage on the same Great Hill Road property that’s been in the family since 1835. He also continues her love and admiration for the skills of border collies. He still keeps sheep at the farm—to the delight and dedication of the couple’s two border collies—and also took up entering sheep herding trials, as Ellen had. Bill and dog or two often travel to successfully participate in trials across New England.
About three years ago, Bill also self-published his first novel, Bottom Line Murder, an international thriller featuring a savvy former detective-turned-forensic accountant. The book is available at Breakwater Books in Guilford. Bill’s currently putting the finishing touches on his second novel. In a nod to the Dudley Farm Museum, Bill hosted a reading of his first book at the farm, donating proceeds from the successful night to the Dudley Foundation.
“I think having that at the museum was perfect. It actually took me 17 years to write that book, and I finally started getting really busy with the Dudley Foundation when the book was almost finished,” says Bill, now a retired accountant.
As for the story of the Big Barn Project, it’s one Bill feels privileged to have helped script. Visible from northeast corner of Route 77 and Route 80, the barn is made up of three distinct sections added on over the years (the oldest was built just before the Civil War broke out), and is a lasting part of the local scenery. It was also the mainstay of the Dudley family farm for generations, right up to the last family member to farm there, David Dudley.
“Once it’s complete, people will see the barn with the three sections David Dudley used until he passed away,” says Bill. “It’s the barn that he used since he was born. That was the family barn.”
Brunch at the Barn is set for Sunday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Munger Barn on the Dudley Farm Museum property, 2351 Durham Road. Tickets, while they last, are $45 per person and must be purchased in advance at The Dudley Farm Museum by calling 203-457-0770 or emailing director@dudleyfarm.com.