TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. — The Old Carter Barn on Lake Carey has come a long way.
Built in 1884, the barn used to be a space for turkeys and other farm animals.
Doug Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn have owned the property that has been in Doug's family since the late '90s, and they felt it needed new life about ten years ago.
"And then we thought, well, you know this is a rural community, and it's good to remember what a rural community is, and let's keep a barn. Well, I think there were two barns on the lake, let's keep one on the lake," Doug said.
Doug and Lewis found a contractor to help restore the barn, and the project began in 2017.
The pair went back and forth between the property on Lake Carey and their home in New York City.
Both men have jobs on Broadway, and when the pandemic forced a shutdown of the city, the duo returned to Wyoming County and focused on the barn project.
"What do you do in that two-year pause? We had this project to work on, and so we just sort of shifted the creativity to this. Hopefully, there'll be stories to be told here," Lewis said.
When they started this project, they weren't sure exactly what they wanted to do with the space, now it can be a venue for weddings and even a show.
"There's an old cliche that goes, 'I have a barn, let's put on a show,' and it's actually from a musical called 'Babes in Arms,' and I thought, well, let me look at that," Doug said.
Doug was able to secure the rights for the musical and put together a show that will be performed in the barn from August 6th through the 8th.
There are also some other events planned for the barn, including Lake Carey Day and an art show.
Doug says he wants to bring the life back to the lake it once had in its heyday.
"All you need is to be the magnet, and all the little metal pieces are going to come to you for here that's going to happen."
If you're interested in tickets for the musical or any other information about the Old Carter Barn, find it here.