Mitchell College to breathe new life into aging dairy barn
New London — The iconic century-old red barn that has marked the site of Michael’s Dairy since the 1920s is getting a facelift.
Mitchell College, which owns the barn and runs the much-beloved ice cream shop on the same property, plans to restore and renovate the 4,800-square-foot barn into a flexible student and community space that will serve as everything from a black box theater to a banquet hall.
The college will hold a “Red Barn Raising” celebration and fundraiser on April 29 to mark the final phase in a “Red Barn Reimagined” campaign, part of a larger master plan for the campus developed in 2015 under President Janet L. Steinmayer.
“We’re excited about the red barn project and in many ways it will bring together the Mitchell community and New London community in an iconic local landmark,” Steinmayer said.
The college has raised $800,000 of the estimated $1 million cost of the project in less than a year through gifts and pledges. Steinmayer said she was hoping to announce completion of the fundraising campaign at this month’s event.
“We are thrilled by the support we have received in the months since we began (the) fundraising campaign. It reflects our community’s commitment to growing our theater program, providing a vibrant student experience and creating opportunities to welcome the New London area community to campus.”
The master plan’s overall concept was designed by Centerbrook Architects and Planners and was based on ideas from the college and local community. There are five primary areas of focus for the plan: the barn, building a science and sailing center on the Thames River, establishing the 1885 Umbrella House as a central icon and creating a campus oval surrounded by small classroom buildings in the style of New England shingled cottages.
Kent + Frost Landscape Architecture, which worked on the college’s Mitchell Woods rejuvenation project, is working with Centerbrook on the master plan.
The red barn is the first major project in the plan. Built in 1889, the barn was part of the original Mitchell estate and at one point used as part of the operations of the Salem-based Mumford Dairies, owned by the Mitchell family, according to an account in the book "The Tiffany Fortune" by Alfred M. Bingham.
It later became known as Michael’s Dairy when the late Michael Buscetto started leasing the property in the 1920s. The Buscettos started making ice cream there about 1950. They sold the buildings and the ice cream business in 2006.
Restoration of the barn, now used mostly for storage, will include insulation, flooring and utilities with modular seating and an overall look that stays true to its roots as a real working barn. The space will be available for student activities, dining, study and community uses such as a venue for Flock Theater and other regional programs.
The barn, combined with the expansive outdoor space, also is imagined as part of an outdoor performance venue.
Steinmayer said once the necessary approvals are in place, construction could begin after graduation this year.
The Red Barn Raising event will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 29 under a tent on the lawn next to the barn. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased in advance at Mitchell.edu/red-barn-raising. All proceeds go toward the barn restoration.
“We are so fortunate to have the tremendous support of alumni, parents, friends and community partners for this project. The event will capture the spirit of community authentic to a barn raising in beautiful, charming country chic style,” Jennifer Wheelehon, director of engagement and alumni relations, said in a statement.
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