A sign welcomes visitors to Le Barn, the new event venue on Route 32 in Jefferson. The old sign for Bond Brothers Hardware still hangs above. (J.W. Oliver photo)
After a first round of renovations, Le Barn – the event venue at the former Bond Brothers Hardware property in Jefferson – is booking events.
Husband and wife proprietors Jim and Marie Lindsey hope to see the venue host a wide array of events, from weddings to anniversary and birthday parties, art exhibits, baby and bridal showers, church and community events, dances, fundraisers, and more.
Le Barn already has four events on its calendar – a party and three weddings in September and October, according to Jim Lindsey.
The company would also like to bring the concept of pop-up restaurants to Lincoln County.
Essentially, an up-and-coming chef or an established restaurateur mulling a new idea could take over the venue for a night, a weekend, or more to test a restaurant concept with a relatively minimal investment and, therefore, relatively little risk.
Le Barn would provide the commercial kitchen and dining room, and the chef would supply the food.
The temporary restaurants are popular in Boston and beginning to appear in Portland, and the Lindseys think their rustic venue near Damariscotta Lake could bring the trend to Lincoln County.
“I have a feeling there’s a cadre of lower-level entrepreneurs who don’t have the money (to open a restaurant) but have the idea,” Jim Lindsey said. “Being able to experiment on the cheap can answer a lot of questions.”
“I know the area has a lot of restaurants,” but many focus on a single type of cuisine, he said, “so the concept of having three, four different things taking place here, I hope, would tap into a market.”
The third floor of Le Barn in Jefferson. Visitors love the massive beams and natural light in the old structure, according to its new owners. (J.W. Oliver photo)
The Lindseys live in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Jim Lindsey works for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation; Marie Lin
dsey works in information technology for the Boston Public Library, and as an event and wedding planner with 15 years of experience.
As a child, Jim Lindsey visited the Camden area. About six or seven years ago, the Lindseys started vacationing in the Boothbay Harbor region. About four years ago, they bought a house on South Clary Road in Jefferson.
After admiring the Bond Brothers Hardware property for three years, the Lindseys purchased the property March 30, 2015.
A cleanup and renovation effort started shortly thereafter, with the construction of stairs and railings to bring the second and third floors of the rambling barn up to code, roof repairs on the barn and one of the other buildings on site, the replacement of the floor in part of the old hardware store – an area that will become the kitchen – and electrical work, among other projects.
Le Barn on Route 32 in Jefferson. The venue is booking events of all sorts, with a few already on the schedule for September and October. (J.W. Oliver photo)
Jim Lindsey hopes to start work on a new septic system in the spring, with a new well to follow. Next, he wants to build a couple of bathrooms in the barn. He hopes to open the barn around July or August, perhaps sooner.
The Lindseys plan to sell their home in Massachusetts and move into their Jefferson home year-round in about a year.
In addition to an event venue and the pop-up dining concept, the Lindseys are exploring other options for the property, including leasing office space.
For more information, call 446-0967, email info@jeffersonbarn.com, or go to www.jeffersonbarn.com.
