Broadneck High School Sophomore Builds Children’s Play Cabin At Goshen Farm

After quickly moving up the ranks of scouting, a Broadneck High School sophomore completed his Eagle Scout project by helping a historic farm enhance its play space.

Fifteen-year-old Nicholas Tubiolo has been involved in scouting for 10 years, both in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. He is currently a member of Troop 382 based in Arnold.

“It’s just a hobby I really enjoy doing, meeting every week and being able to see my friends and learn about how to lead,” Tubiolo said.

He shared that the weeklong camping trips he goes on in the summer are his favorite part of scouting.

“We sleep in the tents and eat in the mess halls, do merit badge classes, and just have a really good time,” Tubiolo said.

Growing up, Tubiolo visited Goshen Farm for school and scouting trips. He grew to appreciate the farm’s value in teaching history and agriculture.

“I think it’s a really great place for kids to go and learn about the historical farm and have a lot of fun,” he said.

In the fall of 2024, Tubiolo returned to Goshen Farm and spoke with grounds chairman Roy Benner, who discussed a wide range of projects that Tubiolo could do to help improve the farm.

“(Benner) said that he really wanted to add on in the children’s play space,” Tubiolo said. “I thought, maybe a playhouse, as I’ve seen in other play areas. I just wanted to build a little cabin for the kids to play in.”

Benner came up with the design, based on a cabin that he saw at a national park.

“He showed me some pictures, and I was able to kind of recreate what he saw,” Tubiolo said.

Over the year in between the first meeting and the start of construction, he met with Benner several times to discuss the project and make adjustments. He also needed Benner’s approval for the project proposal along the way.

Tubiolo’s grandfather also helped him design the cabin.

“Together, we were able to draw up the plans for each of the different parts of the cabin and then put it together,” Tubiolo said.

Tubiolo added personal touches to the designs as well.

“The door was originally going to be the full height of the cabin, and I was thinking that when families visit the farm, I wanted the parents to be able to see their kids playing inside the cabin,” Tubiolo explained. “So, I decided to shorten the door so there’s a gap there and the parents can communicate with their kids that are inside the cabin.

To raise funds for the materials, Tubiolo set up a GoFundMe and shared it with friends and family. The J.F. Johnson Lumber Company also helped by offering a discount on materials.

The project happened in two phases. On September 6, Tubiolo and a few other scouts pre-cut the wood at his home so it was ready to be assembled at the farm on another day.

Then on September 27, Tubiolo, his friends, family and scouts from his troop arrived to build the cabin. Tubiolo helped manage the project and build the cabin.

“In each group, I gave an older scout the job of leading that group and it kind of worked out great, because the different groups were led by other scouts and I was able to oversee the project and kind of manage it,” Tubiolo said.

Tubiolo’s Eagle coach, Jason Jackson, was there to help him bring his project to life. He even built his own addition to complement the cabin.

“Jackson also donated the picnic table to the cabin to make it all come together,” Tubiolo said.

As a finishing touch, the team put a little chalkboard on one of the outside walls for kids to write and draw on.

Tubiolo is looking forward to officially getting his Eagle Scout rank and completing his scoutmaster conference.