About The Barn

The Barn Family Shoe Store has been a family tradition since 1948, in more ways than one.  Family-owned and operated for 60 years, The Barn was founded by Russell Wennbergh, an entrepreneur with a vision far ahead of his time. Like many entrepreneurs, he knew that to achieve big things, you have to start small. And so he began…first selling sneakers at discount prices from the trunk of his car, and then from rented warehouse bins where shoes were sorted by size rather than style.

The business flourished as families in the Newton area flocked to the new “store,” seeking quality shoes at off-prices. When customer demand exceeded his supply, Russell took over the entire warehouse at 25 Kempton Place, off Washington Street in West Newton, thus creating one of Greater Boston’s most recognized shoe stores. The Barn remains in this original location, still delivering an unmatched combination of top quality brands with a vast array of styles, backed by excellent service and competitive pricing.

Russell operated The Barn with a commitment to these values for the duration of his life.  After his death in 1964, his wife Lillian assumed the leadership role in the business, continuing its tradition as a family-owned and operated enterprise.  It was her business acumen and common sense approach that enabled her not only to continue what Russell had started but also to grow the loyalty of its customer base year by year.  From its modest beginnings, The Barn became the store where generations of families would shop together – a place where, “I remember that, when I was a kid, my mother always took me to The Barn to shop for shoes," is regularly heard from customers today.

In 1995, Lillian handed over ownership of The Barn to her daughter, Karen Stives, who had established a reputation as one of the world’s leading equestrians.  When representing the United States in international competition from 1980 to 1988 in Three-Day Eventing, one of the most challenging disciplines in equestrian sports – Karen achieved world acclaim when she won Team Gold and Individual Silver Medals in the 1984 Olympic Games.  In so doing, she became the first woman ever to win an Olympic medal in Three-Day Eventing.

Following her retirement from competition in 1988, Karen continued to contribute to equestrian sports by becoming a coach, an international judge, a member of numerous committees including the Board of the United States Equestrian Team (USET), and Chairperson of the Selection Committee for International Competition Teams for 10 years.

While overseeing The Barn signaled a new direction for Karen, she drew upon the same focus, determination and passion that made her a world-class rider to become an equally successful business owner.  As her longtime friend and colleague, United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Director of Executive Sport Programs Jim Wolf stated in his speech inducting her into the Equestrian Hall of Fame, Karen is a “small package with a thousand-pound brain."

Shortly after joining the business, Karen expanded the family concept behind The Barn by converting the adjacent building into The Kids Barn.  The Kids Barn is an entire store dedicated to children’s footwear, activewear and sporting goods, from infants to teenagers.  The Kids Barn soon won Boston Magazine’s prestigious Best of Boston – Best Children’s Shoe Store award.  Along with The Barn, The Kids Barn has been repeatedly awarded the TAB Newspaper’s #1 Readers Choice Award.  This year, during its 60th Anniversary, The Barn has been named Retailer of the Year by the Boston Shoe Traveler’s Association (BSTA), adding to the numerous accolades it has won since its founding.

Today, The Barn Family Shoe Store is Southern New England’s favorite destination for top quality footwear for the entire family, featuring hundreds of brands and styles for every occasion. Vice President and General Manager Joe Carrigan oversees operations along with a team of seasoned managers, buyers, sales associates and highly experienced administrative and support staff. Everyone involved with the store is focused on giving customers of all ages the kind of positive and memorable experience that will lead to them making the store a family tradition of their own.