A view on Wednesday afternoon of the new 5,600 square foot event center at The Canal House, which is located in Port Jefferson. The new center was constructed in recent months next to the site of the former Hussey’s Restaurant, which closed in early March. The former restaurant building has been turned into a preparation area for brides and grooms. The event center also features a back porch with outdoor seating that faces the Great Miami River, along with a spacious yard covered by string lights.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
A view on Wednesday afternoon of the yard next to the event center at The Canal House. The yard is located directly to the west of the new 5,600 square foot event center and is covered by string lights. There is a concrete pad next to the yard that can be used for a variety of purposes.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
A view on Wednesday afternoon of the back porch at The Canal House. The porch has outdoor seating that looks over the Great Miami River. Multiple sliding doors allow access from the event center to the porch.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
A view of the room at the Canal House for bride and bridesmaids to prepare in. The room looks out over the pond next to the main building, which formerly housed Hussey’s Restaurant.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
A view of the room the groom and groomsmen prepare in at The Canal House.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
A view of the back porch at The Canal House.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
A view of the yard next to the event center at The Canal House. String lights are hung over the yard, and a concerte pad can be used for many purposes.
Bryant Billing | Sidney Daily News
PORT JEFFERSON — After their purchase of the old Hussey’s property in March, Chad and Nicki New are ready to unveil their new wedding venue and event space, The Canal House.
The Canal House will be hosting an open house on next Saturday, Aug. 24, from 4 to 9 p.m. to show off the space. There will be live music from Steve Lewis. Redberry will have a food truck on site, and a cash bar will be available.
With the help of family and friends, the News transformed the back of the former restaurant into a home for them and their family. The front of the building will double as a space for the bridal suite and groom’s suite for the bridal party to get ready for weddings.
The bridal suite overlooks the pond and has tinted windows to enjoy the view while also keeping their privacy. The groom’s suite has more of a “man cave” feeling to it, with leather seating and a poker table.
They have also built another building on the property that will be the event space. It is to the immediate west of the former restaurant building.
The 5,600 square foot building not only has heating and air conditioning but also is lined with windows for plenty of natural light and views of the woods and water that surrounds the building. An outdoor seating area on the back of the event center faces the Great Miami River and has been the highlight of building at most events hosted at The Canal House thus far.
Different offerings are available for ceremonies to be held. The building itself can host the wedding and receptions but also, there are multiple locations outside that are set up to hold ceremonies and celebrations.
There is a lawn directly outside the event space that is lit with string lights and has a concrete area to set up a DJ booth or have a more stable place for patrons to sit if sitting in the grass is difficult. They also have what they call the “Green Cathedral” that has stone slab stairs that leads into a grassy area with a cross at the helm and is facing the river.
“I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to have this vision in our heads for this amount of time and then it’s come to life,” Nicki New said, “It really is rewarding.”
Seven years ago, the News had dreamt of purchasing the Hussey’s building with the hopes of keeping it a restaurant.
“After 2020 and COVID, seeing the things that went on… that’s not for us.” New said. “With Mike and Laura’s (Krusemark) son getting married, that started the conversation of, there’s no wedding venue in our town. Not something that you can have the ceremony and reception at the same place. There’s a lot of halls, but not the full thing, and so everybody seemed to be going out of town… We thought there was a need.”
“The ability to have the ceremony and reception at the same place,” Laura Krusemark said, “that seems to be what most brides want right now.”
With the legacy they try to carry on, the News plan to give back to the community with their new space.
“I think we’re open to be able to not just allow this be a wedding venue but to be able to use it for many other things,” New said. “Our goal is to provide a beautiful space for weddings but also an event space for our local county and be able to help out with some of the nonprofit organizations that do so many great things, and just be able to give back with it.”
Reach Sidney Daily News reporter Anna Edmiston at 937-538-4825.
