Foster Preservation Society

William Harrington Barn and Farm

"The Harrington Farm includes a 1½-story, gable-roofed house* with a 1½-story setback ell fronted by an open Victorian porch; a large, gambrel roofed, shingled barn just across Harrington Road built by Finnish carpenters in 1917 on the site of an earlier barn; and a 2½-story shed, originally used for butchering and processing hogs and storing dairy products, now used as a rental residence. The house was built by William Harrington, a farmer who raised, among other crops, potatoes and apples for cash sale in Providence, and who fought in the Civil War.  In the twentieth century Herman Harrington had a dairy operation here. Members of the Harrington family were among the earliest settlers in southwestern Foster and the barn occupies the site of Revolutionary War era Captain Simeon Harrington’s house." (Excerpted from Foster, RI, RIHPC Report, P-F-1, 1982).

*Note:  The house and barn are now in separate ownership.

Harrington Barn Threatened

from FPS Spring 2007 Newsletter

The  Planning Board has given Preliminary Approval to a five lot subdivision at the corner of Harrington and Cucumber Hill Roads. A variance from a side line setback for the barn was made a condition of Final Approval. The 1917 barn on the site has been threatened with demolition if the Zoning Board refuses to grant the lot line variance to the applicant.

The Society submitted an opinion objecting to the Preliminary Approval of this subdivision. Based on the fact that the barn is listed in the State Register of Historic Places and is in the Moosup Valley Historic District, we contend that the application should have been reviewed as a Major rather than Minor Subdivision. A Major Subdivision requires a Public Hearing and the opinions of local and State  agencies, as well as citizens. A Minor Subdivision requires only notification of  abutters. Abutters appealed Planning Board decision on April 23rd. A Zoning Board Appeal Hearing was held on June 13, 2007 at 7:00p.m.

Thank you to all  who attended this important hearing.

Outcome to date