Authored by Keith Cramer
This abandoned 19th-century barn was spared as the 1,250 acre high-tech commercial office park grew around it for many years. The developer, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the first engineering college in the US, renovated the 1760’s farmhouse for the Park’s main office. They had no real use for the farm’s barn, but were committed to saving it until a use was found. After twenty years, and twenty-three office buildings were built, a donor, Pat, stepped forward to support Park Director Michael Wacholder’s, vision of turning the barn into a meeting and event space. Now, Pat’s Barn provides 5,000 square feet of conference space and also hosts weddings and parties of every kind. This Fall, Wacholder received the preservation Award from the Rensselaer County Historical Society which included a collection of artwork and books of historic barns. More more information, please visit: www.rpitechpark.com