Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

September 20, 2019

Dan Keefe | Brian Nearing
(518) 486-1868 | news@parks.ny.gov

State Parks to Consider Barn Salvage, Reuse at Robert V. Riddell State Park

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) will seek public input on conceptual plans to give portions of a 19th century barn a new life as interpretive or community gathering space at the 2,163-acre Robert V. Riddell State Park in Otsego and Delaware counties.

Conceptual plans under consideration include an enclosed space of between 1,000 to 1,100 square feet, with an estimated cost between $350,000 to $450,000, which includes the cost of salvaging portions of the barn for use in subsequent construction as well as for site work.

The interpretive building and picnic shelter could be located near the Schenevus Creek, a Class A trout stream and a tributary of the Susquehanna River. Badly deteriorated, structurally unsafe and at risk of collapse, the barn has been disassembled.

State Parks will schedule public outreach sessions this fall to discuss the alternatives prior to a final decision.

Divided into two sections by Interstate-88, the park includes a 12-mile trail network through fields and forests. Additional activities include bird-watching, snowshoeing and fishing.

State Parks has more than doubled the size of the park to more than 2,300 acres since acquiring the original 1,000 acres from the Riddell family in 2004. Subsequent improvements have included $75,000 for restrooms, trails and signage.

State Parks also has a collaborative agreement with nearby Hartwick College in Oneonta, which sold 800 acres to the state for inclusion in the park, for use of the park in outdoor education.

State Parks oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which were visited by a record 74 million people last year. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.parks.ny.gov, connect with us on Facebook, or follow on Instagram and Twitter.

• Additional Documents
• Riddell State Park - Initial Concepts (pdf)