Local artist wins auction for Scott’s Meadow

After a winning $400,000 auction bid was made, Scott’s Meadow in the business district of Sugar Loaf will be revitalized and reopened. The bid came from artist Faron Peckham and his business partners at an auction in early July.

The property had been owned by Orange County for the past several years due to unpaid taxes. In the 1980s and 90s, close to 30 businesses called the Scott’s Meadows property home. There were once four buildings on the property: two homes directly on Kings Highway and two protruding buildings on the back of the property, one of which was recently torn down. Only the two homes set directly on Kings Highway were included in the auction.

“People say the best investment would be to tear down these buildings and put up some kind of residential project. Residential is not what Sugar Loaf is about,” Peckham said. “It’s about expressing yourself.”

Peckham’s journey takes him full circle, as his family lived and ran a business in Scott’s Meadows when he was a child in the 1980s. His family’s business is called Moon Angel Jewelry and they do most of their business at Renaissance Faires such as the one in Tuxedo, N.Y.

Peckham’s plan is to revive the properties and restore the buildings and then rent them out to local artisans. He said he believes there is room for two shops and a gallery in the red barn structure and four shops in the white house. The buildings are in better shape than they look and are sturdy, he said, adding that he expects work to take less than a year.

When the buildings were put up for auction, there was trepidation in the community about what kind of person would buy them. There has been nothing short of celebration and enthusiasm about Peckham winning the auction - as he is someone interested in building on Sugar Loaf’s heritage as an artisan hamlet.

“As president of the Sugar Loaf Community Foundation, I can attest that the residents and shop owners are ecstatic about Faron purchasing the properties. They are centrally located in the hamlet and for years have been an eyesore, so this is long overdue,” Jeff Zahn said. “Faron is young, ambitious, an artist - and most important - a long time resident. We are excited to see what plans he has for the future - and the community is standing by ready to help in any way we can.”

Peckham, 42, said he hopes that by revitalizing Scott’s Meadow, he will help revitalize the whole hamlet.

Peckham has a history in business, traveling to the Cape Verde islands when he was in his 20s and starting several ventures - including an eco-bus that ran on recycled vegetable oil, a phone company and several Internet cafes. Nonetheless, he said the investment in Scott’s Meadow is a large chunk of cash and is a bit “scary,” but he has taken great comfort in the reaction to his purchase.

“The community has been incredible. Didn’t expect the level of warmth and outreach from people. Validation means the world,” he said.

Peckham will be keeping the Scott’s Meadow signage synonymous with the location. He will also be sharing the municipal parking lot behind Scott’s Meadow with the county.

He said he aims to offer residential space to go along with storefront space so artists can live, work and sell in the same building, saving money.

“Scott’s Meadows was a major incubator for the community,” said photographer Nick Zunguli, who started his career in Scott’s Meadows from 1979-1985 before he had his own storefront on Kings Highway. “What Faron is looking to do is the way to go.”