The fruits of a lot of behind-the-scenes labor were celebrated Sunday at Harmony Hall. The old Jacob Sloat house that sits atop a hill off of Rt. 17 in Sloatsburg, and at one time overlooked Sloat’s prosperous cotton twine mills along the Erie Railroad tracks, is finally due for its make-over.

The Sunday celebration marked the official kick-off of several restoration projects taking place this spring. Sponsored by the Friends of Harmony Hall (FOHH), the event was attended by Town of Ramapo Councilwoman Brendel Logan, Councilmen Yitzchok Ullman and Daniel Friedman, who accepted two special Crowbar Awards from Harmony Hall on the town’s behalf for its revitalization efforts.

FOFH President Barbara Berntsen was master ceremonies for the day’s activities and board member Ken Linsner made the award presentations, which involved two gilded crowbars with metal plaques attached that commemorated the event. Phil Tisi, assistant to Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, presented the Crowbar Awards to council members. Tisi is a Sloatsburg resident and at one time taught at Suffern High School.

The second gilded crowbar was presented to William Krattinger, the regional Historical Preservation Specialist for New York State, who wrote the nomination of Harmony Hall – The Jacob Sloat House, for the National and State Registers of Historic Places.

Town of Ramapo Clerk Christian Sampson and Rockland District 1 Legislator Doug Jobson also attended, along with Sloatsburg Mayor Carl Wright, who thanked the both town for its support and commended the important work the Friends of Harmony Hall have made in creating a vital cultural center for this part of the county.

The town, through Supervisor St. Lawrence’s efforts, has been instrumental in helping to preserve many Ramapo historic buildings and parcels through the town’s Open Space policy, including the Henry Varnum Poor House (of Standard & Poor fame), the Smith Family Farm, Mobray-Clarke House, and reconstruction of the Ramapo Saltbox in Torne Valley.

St. Lawrence has been instrumental in securing a $200,000 grant from the Ford Motor Company for Ramapo historical restoration, while helping wrangle another deal with Ford that involves environmental remediation projects currently underway throughout Torne Valley at a projected cost of approximately $12 million.

Barbara Berntsen, president of the Friends group and one of the shepherds of the Harmony Hall construction project, said Sunday’s event celebrated a turning point for the Sloatsburg landmark.

“The renovation project includes a new roof and a restored gutter system,” Berntsen said. “And a new porch and front veranda that will be rebuilt.” Berntsen said that the exterior construction project will restore the front of the house to close to its original look, dating back to 1848.

A former Sloatsburg Village Trustee, Berntsen was one of the original appointees charged by the Town of Ramapo to oversee and develop the historical site after Ramapo bought the house in 2005 as part of its historic preservation effort.

To date, the Friends of Harmony Hall, a non-profit member organization that works behind the scenes to promote and renovate Harmony Hall, has made enormous strides. The group raised money to refinish the interior floors, and has applied for a Community Development Block Grant that will allow Harmony Hall to renovate the first-floor bathroom and rear building entrances to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The group also recently installed new heating in the first floor installation rooms (led by FOHH member Joe Nappo) and developed an active board that includes local art conservator Kenneth Linsner.

Berntsen worked tirelessly to secure grant money from the Town of Ramapo that New York will match. In total, the Harmony Hall  project has acquired some $600,000 in grant and matching money for the exterior restoration.

Harmony Hall is the original name for the Jacob Sloat House, designed and built by Sloat back in 1848 as an example of Greek Revival style of architecture popular in the early Victorian period. The restoration project is intended to capture the period from 1848 to 1908.

Harmony Hall now serves as the fulcrum for a wealth of Sloatsburg cultural and community activities, including the popular annual Highland Bluegrass Festival. After the restoration project, Harmony Hall will act to promote not only the history of Sloatsburg, but serve as an entry point for this part of New York’s Ramapo River Pass and Highlands environments.

The event was sponsored by the Town of Ramapo and presented by the Friends of Harmony Hall and was the next to last official event at the historical Jacob Sloat House before restoration activities begin later this spring.

Event photos of Harmony Hall celebration courtesy of Geoff Welch. This article was updated to account for event activities.