By Sarah Hall
Editor
Reader and local dentist Dr. John Damiano sent in this photo of the former Barnes Dairy in the village. According to Shacksboro Schoolhouse Museum volunteer and “History Mystery” contributor Sue McManus, the Barnes Dairy, located at 53 Salina St., was successor to an earlier dairy owned by P.O. Lewis. Lewis sold to Barnes in 1938. Barnes later sold to John Klasmier, who was the last to operate a dairy there from 1970 to 1974.
Damiano, whose office is located in the village, said he snapped the photo of what was most recently known as Ten Below Motor Sports because of an interest in local history.
“Many years ago when I was going home for lunch, I saw that the ongoing demolition of Gould Pumps had exposed the original exterior barn siding of the Morris Machine Works factory,” Damiano recalled in an email to the Messenger. “Painted on it was the company logo. Seeing it gave me a deep sensation of a time lapse into old Baldwinsville.”
Damiano didn’t have a smartphone or a way to take a picture, so he went on his way. By the time he returned to his office, the historic logo was gone. He said he was saddened it wasn’t preserved in any way.
“At a minimum, Baldwinsville should have capitalized on the opportunity to preserve B’ville history by calling the Kinney’s Drug site ‘Machine Works Plaza,’” he said.
Damiano said he hopes the owners of the new building at the former Barnes Dairy site—which workers told him will be a recreation center for a senior housing project—would be more conscious of its beginnings.
“Hopefully the owners of the building in this picture will think to call it something like ‘Barnes’ Dairy Recreation Center,’ keeping alive village history,” he said.
Do you have any memories of the old Barnes Dairy? Share them with us by emailing the editor at [email protected].
