The Long Island Dairy Museum at Caumsett

The Foundation is thrilled to announce receipt of a grant from the Historical Preservation Division of New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund to support the continued restoration of Caumsett’s Dairy Barn Complex. The grant will match a major gift from the Charles and Helen Reichert Family Foundation, The Marion and Maximilian Hoffman Foundation, The Gerry Foundation and other generous contributors. During phase two, the Foundation will seek funding from public and private donors for the many interactive exhibits being planned with the help of professional museum consultants.

The Caumsett Foundation’s initiative to restore and adaptively reuse the historic dairy barns at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve represents a meaningful investment in preservation, education, and public engagement. Caumsett is a landmark property whose agricultural buildings reflect an important chapter in the region’s social, architectural, and economic history. By rehabilitating the Dairy Barn Complex and creating a museum, the Foundation seeks to honor the past while ensuring the site remains relevant and accessible for future generations.

The Dairy Barn Complex was originally constructed in the 1920s as part of a model farm on the Marshall Field Estate. During this period, large estates often incorporated state-of-the-art agricultural operations that combined efficiency, innovation, and design excellence. The Caumsett dairy barns were not merely utilitarian structures; they were carefully planned and built to demonstrate modern farming practices, animal care, and self-sufficiency. As such, they stand as rare and valuable examples of early twentieth-century agricultural architecture within a landscape more commonly associated with grand mansions and formal gardens.

The planned Dairy Museum will serve as an educational and cultural resource within Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve. Through exhibits, interpretive displays, and programming, students and visitors of all ages will learn about the site’s agricultural past, the role of dairy farming in the region, and the lives of the workers who sustained the estate’s operations. This interpretation adds depth to the park experience, broadening public understanding beyond the estate’s scenic beauty to include its working landscape.