| HISTORY Old Apple Barn Historic building harkens days of heirloom apples and the Cloud Climbing Railroad The Old Apple Barn, located on Highway 82 in Mountain Park, New Mexico, has caused a lot of buzz since it has been converted and opened for public view for the first time in 2005. Built in 1941, the tw-story brick block and board and batt building was built to process apples and vegetables. The produce processed and boxed on the top floor, then slid down to the lower floor for storage or loading through the thick wooden freight doors onto train cars. The apple processing was halted with the demise of the railroad. For decades the structure sat idle except for occasional local square dances. A flour mill occupied the space for a few years. Then, in the early 1980’s, Dan and Peg O'Leary operated a southwestern furniture factory called Mountain Light Woodworks in the base of the barn. In 1994 Bill and Beverly Niffenegger, the current owners, purchased the barn for a digital art training center and their art studios. The second story now holds a workshop/studio and an owners loft. 3,000 feet of the 4,000 square foot bottom floor has been converted into a combined General Store, Gift Shop, Bistro and Gallery. The Old Apple Barn is very much like an old style Emporium from the twenties. “We left the front of the building virtually untouched. The scale of the building, the old freight doors, and the aged materials are beautiful just as they are," Niffenegger says. “The interior large beams and rustic construction have also been preserved. The balance of the space is used for fruit storage and for the Fudge Factory.” The view from the deck is of Haynes Canyon, with its fresh water springs and the pine covered mountains. The local canyons were the site of many orchards. Some heirloom orchards still remain hidden within and the Niffeneggers are committed to the continuation and preservation of the vintage apple varieties which are not found in grocery stores of today. Visitors take in the fantastic mountain view and air while relaxing on the big deck and enjoying a meal or snack. The Old Apple Barn is indeed a unique building, brimming with history. |