Once a home for dairy cows, a Falls Twp. barn now hosts opulent occasions such as weddings and proms.
The Barn at Glistening Pond, located at 421 Pine Hill Road in Falls, sits on 215 acres of land with breathtaking views of the Endless Mountains.
Owner DJ Martin’s family has owned the property since 1928. Martin’s dad, Bernard, was a dairy farmer, and the property was a fully functioning dairy farm until 1988.
“When my dad retired in 1988, the rest of the family took over,” Martin said. “Although we weren’t a dairy farm anymore, our biggest seller was hay. There came a point where hay bales weren’t really selling as much, so we decided to take the property in another direction.”
With the help of his siblings, Bernard Jr. and Denise, the family began to renovate the inside of the barn in 2014 with the intention of hosting events such as wedding receptions, high school proms and graduation parties, and other events that could benefit from the scenery that the property offers.
In August of 2015, the barn hosted its first wedding reception, and business has only gotten bigger since then.
“Most of the people whom I’ve talked to love it,” Martin said. “People love that rustic feel of the barn. I’m also beginning to see that people are starting to like more casual weddings, which is the majority of what we host. I say that when the place is all decorated, it feels almost like you’re in a movie.”
The barn’s restored hayloft features 30-foot rugged, original timber vaulted ceilings and hanging chandeliers that give off soft, ambient light. There is also an outdoor area where people can play lawn games, or just relax by the outdoor fireplace and enjoy the views.
Next door to the reception barn is a smaller barn where the actual wedding ceremonies can be performed. An interesting feature is that the barn doors slide open where the bride and groom stand, creating a view with the Glistening Pond in the background, and sun shining through the walls.
Hayley DeAngelo of Dallas recently held her wedding reception at the Barn at Glistening Pond. She called the atmosphere as “a magical experience.”
“It really was everything that I envisioned,” DeAngelo said. “It created an atmosphere that everyone who attended loved. It’s a hidden gem tucked away in the middle of nowhere.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of 2020 weddings were postponed until this year. Martin said that there are some weekends this summer where there are two or three weddings planned.
“It’s been absolutely crazy,” Martin said. “We have a steady amount of activity for the rest of the summer, then we’re pretty much filled up when you get to the peak wedding season of September and October.”
Although the Barn at Glistening Pond is a family operation, Martin said he does have a great staff who helps him out with taking care of the property, as setting up for multiple weddings a weekend is a tough job.
“It can be tough sometimes,” Martin said. “A wedding from our side of the business is an all day event. We’re here early in the morning until very late at night, but the staff does an absolutely fantastic job and the place always looks great.”
If anyone is interested in booking the Barn at Glistening Pond for a wedding or other event, call 570-575-5666 or visit glisteningpond.com.
