If you live in western Prince William County or Manassas, you’ve either seen it or have been driving with your eyes closed (not recommended).
There it sits, near the corner of University Boulevard and Hornbaker Road in the northwest corner of Innovation Park, Prince William County’s ‘epicenter of burgeoning biotech growth,’ which began around 1997 when the county bought 500 acres in the area.
If nothing else, it’s a survivor – the Birkett Barn.
Sure, to a few, the 1939 structure built on cinder blocks has probably represented a decaying monstrosity, or an artifact of agricultural no-more. To others, it’s a cool, old building that begs to be explored or an icon of a past to be preserved.
For Noel Sweeney of Sweeney Barns, LLC, it’s the perfect place for a unique, rustic event venue, filling a gap in the area’s amenities, while honoring history.
Okay, so the old barn has had some issues — like wood rot and termites and no real road entry or parking lot, but nothing that an estimated $2.5 million in renovations can’t take care of. Even after the $$215,528 purchase price, the barn is worth restoring, right?
It has been to Sweeney, who finalized the sale of the property February 2018 and has wanted to “share with people the old, historic nature of the property and bring them back to something that is timeless, historic, rustic and just plain old good fun.”
Sweeney is just the person to do it, too. With a degree that includes honors in construction, engineering and management and a background in commercial construction project management, Sweeney isn’t fooling around. He has owned three restaurants, runs his own closet design company and manages a commercial property portfolio. Birkett is his third barn project (and if he has his way, there will be a fourth, this one in Gainesville…more on that later).
Clearly, Sweeney has a thing for barns. Birkett attracted him right away, with “the cool design on the barn, the rustic nature and history, the location at Innovation Park, the access and frontage.”
But there are other aspects to the barn that were key selling points for him, too. The site had utilities available. The zoning fit their needs, as did the D.C. metro location. But, he said, what attracted him most of all was the barn’s beauty. And with almost five acres of land, this commercial site is truly unique.
Go back to go forward
Sweeney said the barn began as a one-story structure with a hayloft. The Birkett family kept their cows there. You can picture it — black and white bovines hanging out in rough-hewn stalls, waiting to be milked, the smell of hay and cow pies…just a normal day in the life of Prince William County’s booming dairy industry.
Step on the gas. It’s 2017. Sweeney’s thinking rustic weddings, corporate events and maybe some live music in an intimate setting.
But this doesn’t mean a crash and burn for preservation.
“The barn just exudes a sense of relation when you go out into the country, and we have done our very best to keep this old, rustic feeling with all the modern amenities added in,” Sweeney said.
“We just want to share the experience with people and make it part of their special day and feel like when they leave Sweeney Barn, they have experienced something special.”
Sweeney Barn has the ability to give a lot of people that special feeling. The lower large room will hold about 200 people, the upper banquet hall – formerly the loft – 300. Large bathrooms, classically designed, a spiral staircase in the silo leading to the second level, an upper level walk-out deck, the building beautifully recrafted…and tricked out with an elevator, a warming kitchen, heat, AC, AV controls, and of course, utilities. The parking lot will hold about 120 cars.
Don’t discount the number of jobs the project has brought in, either. Construction, engineering and architecture were all done by local companies (Mike Garcia Construction, Mike Mullen Engineering and Loveless Porter Architects, respectively).
The events will offer opportunities for local caterers, DJs, musicians, photographers and event planners. Sweeney estimates for each event, there will be “30-40 people on staff running that event to make it go smoothly.” The facility itself will have a general manager and a few people to sell the venue as well.
The project is due for completion sometime around October, with an official opening spring of 2019, just in time for the wedding season…but only if you’ve booked ahead. The website is already set up to take reservations.
