Barn used as a recording studio by iconic '60s band Peter, Paul and Mary goes up for sale

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 03:05, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 03:18, 10 July 2026 A Maine barn with strong ties to legendary 1960s folk group Peter, Paul and Mary has gone up for sale for a seven figure price. The four–story South Blue Hill property, known locally as the Henhouse, was restored by Noel Paul Stookey, the 'Paul' in the trio, when he moved to the Blue Hill peninsula with his family in the mid–1970s. The barn gradually became a hub for music, animation, radio, film and local artists. Though the Stookey family sold the former chicken coop about three decades ago, its influence can still be felt. 'A lot of important cultural activities really started there and kept going,' Jill Knowles, who first listed the barn last year, told the Bangor Daily News. The 7,700–square–foot building at 515 Falls Bridge Road is currently on the market for $1.125 million. Stookey still lives in Blue Hill and is working with co–writer Jeanne Finley on a memoir about the spiritual journey that brought him to Maine and shaped his life after the folk trio. The property also stands out as a multi–unit apartment building in an area where rental options are limited. The four–story South Blue Hill home that Noel Paul Stookey, the 'Paul' in Peter, Paul and Mary, once owned has been put on the market for $1.125 million Peter, Paul and Mary became wildly popular in the early 60s for their hits like 'Puff, the Magic Dragon' and their cover of Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind'  Stookey is the sole surviving member of the folk trio, as Peter Yarrow died last January and Mary Travers died in 2009 The chickenhouse was first built in 1958 before Stookey converted it into a professional music studio and living spaces upon moving in 1974, according to Mainebiz. Stookey recorded several Maine artists, including singer–songwriter David Mallett, at the barn. It is unclear if Peter, Paul and Mary ever recorded in the Henhouse, though it's possible that they rehearsed there occasionally, according to the Lewiston Sun Journal. He had moved there with his wife, Betty Bannard, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Kate and Anna, from New York City in 1974. Stookey still lives in Blue Hill, and his family still maintains close links to the area. His daughter, Kate Stookey, is president and CEO of Maine Coast Heritage Trust. A public profile noted that she had been raised in Blue Hill. The barn sits on slightly more than two acres and was last sold in 2016 for $215,000, Mainebiz reported. Since then, it has been upgraded with new kitchens on the first, second and third floors. A new propane central heating system and a new roof has also been installed. The top floor, which used to serve as Stookey's recording studio, features a loft–like apartment that has been rented seasonally. Stookey, pictured next to his bandmate Mary Travers, said he had moved to Maine to escape New York Stookey still lives in Blue Hill to this day, though he has not owned the barn for roughly three decades  Stookey said he had originally moved to Blue Hill as an 'escape from New York.' 'It turned into a love affair with Maine,' he told the Portland Press Herald in July 2012. Peter, Paul and Mary, formed in New York City, were one of the better known folk groups of the 1960s. The trio of Peter Yarrow, Stookey and Mary Travers became popular for their hits including 'Puff, the Magic Dragon' and their cover of Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind.' Yarrow died last January at age 86, while Travers died in 2009 at 72, leaving Stookey as the sole surviving member of the iconic band. The for–sale chickenhouse served as a community pillar even after Stookey's career wound down. It served as the first broadcasting location for for local community radio station WERU in 1988 and continued doing so for about nine years, according to the Bangor Daily News. The coop also hosted collections for the Northeast Historic Film archive, which preserves filmed material about northern New England. Peter, Paul and Mary were formed in New York City and were wildly successful during the early 1960s  The 7,700–square–foot building could be turned into affordable housing, according to its current listing agent For the last few decades, Stookey's former home has largely been a residential and rental property, its current listing agent Molly Dwyer said. Dwyer said the barn was up for sale because its current owner was moving out of state. Public listings showed the property also went up for sale last October before being removed this January. 'There's a very select group that this is going to work for,' Dwyer told the Bangor Daily News. She predicted that could be a buyer interested in starting an artistic retreat or center. Another option would be buying the well–known barn to be used as an investment for apartment rentals. Dwyer said she would want to see the property turn into affordable housing, as the area needs it. The Daily Mail has reached out to Dwyer, the listing agent, for comment.