Springfield Preservation Trust President Erica Swallow and SPT Executive Vice President James “Sean” Johnson pose inside the Barney Estate Carriage House.
Reminder Publishing photo by Ryan Feyre
SPRINGFIELD — The iconic Barney Estate Carriage House inside Forest Park will be home to one of Springfield Preservation Trust’s biggest fundraisers in just a few days.
Featuring Victorian-era music, a silent auction, historic tours and more, SPT’s 2025 Annual Garden Party Fundraiser, titled “Flora & Fauna,” will grace the legendary Laurel Hill Road grounds on Aug. 24.
According to organizers, the fundraiser will make people feel like they’ve been transported back in time to the late-1800s, when the carriage house was built.
“We’ve been doing the Annual Garden Party for decades,” SPT President Erica Swallow said. “It’s been one of our staple events.”
The event will begin at 1 p.m. with a meet and mingle that includes hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar near the Carriage House’s barn doors, a silent auction in the carriage house ballroom and a 50/50 raffle that continues throughout the event.
Swallow will then give remarks in the ballroom before Baillie DiStefano performs an opera number from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” According to the SPT, DiStefano has previously performed as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” and was a choir member for the “Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds” show at The Bushnell.
Throughout the afternoon, attendees will have the opportunity to tour the famous Barney Estate Carriage House and learn about its history and why it is so significant to the Forest Park area.
SPT Executive Vice President James “Sean” Johnson said SPT runs a garden party every summer and a counterpart winter fundraiser to help raise money for SPT’s preservation efforts. The organization chooses a different venue every year to host both major fundraisers. Johnson said that running the garden party at the Carriage House this year is significant because of how historic the venue is.
“We want to bring awareness to historic properties throughout the city,” Johnson said.
The Carriage House at the Barney Estate was built in 1883 alongside Pecousic Villa, the towering mansion of Everett Barney, a local ice skate manufacturer and inventor who owned much of what is now the western section of Forest Park.
According to SPT, Pecousic Villa was demolished in 1959 for the construction of Interstate 91, but the Carriage House still stands, along with Barney’s “well-landscaped” grounds, including ponds, fountains, a waterfall, bridges and a network of paths.
Everett would make large donations to help Forest Park grow after it was officially established in 1884.
Carriage House manager Leslie Bercume said refurbishments have occurred over the years at the estate, but the Springfield Parks and Recreation Department has made sure to keep a majority of the original spirit intact.
She said Putnam Vocational Technical Academy helped bring the house back to life when it was falling in disarray in the 1990s.
“They preserved every part of the building they could that was original,” Bercume said.
Now a frequent wedding and events venue managed by the city, the Carriage House will likely draw over 100 people to its iconic walls for the fundraiser on Aug. 24. Swallow said attendees will witness important gems along the historic tours throughout the day, including Barney’s office on the second level, a restored pastoral mural and a grandfather clock that has stood on the property since Barney’s ownership.
Tours of the house will occur at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:15 p.m.
“I’m expecting a nice crowd,” Swallow said. “The historic tours are a huge part of the fundraiser.”
Swallow shared that the fundraiser also highlights the work of two organizations: the Springfield Parks Department, which landscapes throughout Forest Park, and the Springfield Garden Club, which is an organization that spreads awareness around responsible gardening throughout Springfield.
The event features floral and garden designs “fit for Victorian era garden strolls.” Swallow added that Carriage House plantings information will be provided for those interested in how the Garden Club and Parks Department curate the estate’s gardens and planters.
“We are highlighting the great work they do,” Swallow said.
Tickets for the fundraising event are $40 for SPT and Springfield Garden Club members, and $50 for non-members. Summer florals and fauna-inspired patterns are encouraged to celebrate the “Flora & Fauna” theme of the fundraiser, according to Swallow.
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have historic or architectural significance.
Swallow said the fundraiser’s sponsors include Mark S. Fuller, Carriage House at the Barney Estate, Coldwell Banker and Rockstar Cinema Productions.
