Three years ago, Wawarsing’s Wagar Farm was a frequent topic in this paper. The owners, Phil and Patty Coombe, sought to open a wedding venue on a barn at the six-acre estate tucked in Ulster Heights near Hanging Rock Falls. The neighbors were not happy with the idea, and hired a lawyer, who went before the Wawarsing Planning Board demanding a hard stop on the project.

The debate got ugly, and Wagar Farms was plagued with problems. A man was beat with a baseball bat in the woods during one Wagar event. A neighbor said that the Coombes were advertising a dangerous waterfall on his property, and he was afraid drunk guests would get hurt trying to reach it. A sound expert recorded decibel levels at a wedding at the venue, and during the fight over that, the chairman of the planning board pulled out his iPhone to reveal that he, too, had been monitoring Wagar Farm sound levels. And, to top it all, a would-be bride was in tears before the planning board, asking what was she supposed to do if the event wasn’t approved.

The neighbors won, and Wagar Farm stopped hosting weddings in the fall of 2021. A year later, the whole property was sold for $799,000.

Last month, the farm appeared again on Zillow, and the price has doubled. The owners of the eight bedroom, six-acre estate are now asking $1,649,999 for the one-time wedding venue. We at the Journal couldn’t afford it in a million years, but the listing is a rare look inside this lavish property.

Pictures reveal an elaborate stone path leading to a private swimming hole in the Beerkill, a wooden bridge across the water, a cast-iron antique stove used as coffee station that’s – frankly – a little over the top, and a barn that still looks set up to host a wedding. The listing describes the barn as ripe for “whether you envision it as a barndominium, artist's studio, or gathering space for celebrations with family and friends.” We notice they kept the guest list small.