The Old Red Barn Is Vacant

A town landmark is empty.

The big red barn on Farmington Ave., which has housed A.S. Labieniec seemingly forever, is now vacant. The owner of A.S. Labieniec Feed and Pet Supply, Carleen Quinn, has moved to 817 Farmington Ave.

"We just think we can serve the customer better here in this location," said Quinn, who has owned the store for eight years and was leasing from the Labieniec family in the former location. "We will miss that old red barn, but it was just that, an old red barn.

"The parking is better here. We have much better heating and a substantial upgrade in electricity. The rent went up there so we looked and found a great location here. We also have much nicer bathrooms and room to spread out here a little bit more. Being at this intersection is also something we think can help our traffic in the store."

Quinn said she tried to buy the barn from the Labieniec family several times over the past eight years but a deal never came together. She is leasing the current site from Joseph Aiudi.

"This space here has all been re-done and we're happy to be here but we have mixed feelings about leaving the barn behind," Quinn said. "We just opened here on Monday so we are hoping people will find us. As much as we loved the old barn, we think this is the best thing for us to do."

Quinn admitted leaving the landmark was a very difficult decision.

"I'm very nervous about it," she said. "We are still working out all the details. We are excited with everything here. It's new and it's fresh we're just hoping people will come to our new address."

Customers are urged to call if they have any questions (860) 828-3633.