The Historic Village at Allaire

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Barn During the height of production at the Howell Works Company a complex of barns and stables had been constructed to house the company draft animals. Aside from carriage horses, there were mules, oxen and draft horses housed on the property and tax records indicate the Company even owned a work dog.

Not only would the barns have been used to house the company animals, but also the personal draft animals of the Allaire Family as well as of those workers who could afford them. Visitors to the Howell Works Company would also be able to board their horses, mules or oxen there as well, during their visit to the site.

By 1836 James Allaire was operating a major transportation empire from the Historic Village site and draft animals were a vital necessity to keep his empire running. Mules and oxen to drag the heavy sledges laden with bog iron ore and trees for charcoal across the property, draft horses to pull the cartage wagons to and from Eatontown Dock and carriage horses to pull the stages and private carriages to the Red Bank Docks where a connection to New York could be made on one of Allaire's steam packets.

Barn While none of the original barns and stables exist, the present barn is a slightly smaller recreation of one which stood at its present location. Built on the original foundations of the Mule Barn, today's barn houses a collection of 19th century farm implements and artifacts such as threshers, scythes, hand and horse ploughs and sledges.

Today visitors to the Barn Complex may see demonstrations of leather working, knot tying, tanning or harness repair. During special events the site is used to demonstrate 19th Century Laundry procedures, story telling, singing and dancing, apple bobbing and even pumpkin painting on All Hallows Eve.