Brooks Farm facts for kids
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Brooks Farm
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3521 Big Beaver Rd., Troy, Michigan |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1852 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001594 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
The William Brooks Farm, also known as the Washington Stanley Farm, is a special old farm located in Troy, Michigan. It's more than just a farm; it's a piece of history! This site was recognized as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971. A year later, in 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important place that needs to be protected and remembered.
Contents
The Farm's Story: A Look Back in Time
The story of the Brooks Farm begins with a man named Washington Stanley. He was born in Shaftsbury, Vermont in 1807. In 1826, when he was 19, he moved to this very spot in Michigan. He came with his wife, Lydia, and his widowed mother.
Building a Home and a Farm
When they first arrived, Washington Stanley built a simple log cabin. He started farming the land, working hard to grow crops. Washington and Lydia had six children together. Sadly, Lydia passed away.
In 1842, Washington Stanley married again. His new wife was Catherine Elisha Barringer. Ten years later, in 1852, Stanley built the beautiful two-story stone house you can still see today. This house became the heart of the farm.
New Owners and New Uses
Washington Stanley died in 1873. The farm then went to his daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Frank Ford. The Fords continued to farm the land for many years.
In 1911, the Fords' daughter, Alta Ford Peabody, sold the farm. The new owner was William Brooks. The Brooks family used the farm to raise dairy cows until 1960. At that time, they sold most of the land to people who wanted to build new homes.
The Brooks family kept living in the old farmhouse until the mid-1970s. Then, they sold it to the Kresge Foundation. This foundation now uses the farm as its main office. In 2006, they added a modern building that connects the old farmhouse and barn. This way, they can use the historic buildings while also having modern space.
What Does the Farm Look Like?
The William Brooks Farm has the main farmhouse and several other buildings. These include a machine shop, a smokehouse, barns for hogs and dairy cows, a milk house, a silo, and a corn crib.
The Historic Farmhouse
The farmhouse is a special building. It has two stories and is made of fieldstone, which are stones found in fields. It was built in the Greek Revival style. This style was popular in the 1800s and often looks like ancient Greek temples.
The house has a rectangular shape with sloped roofs on the sides. The windows have six small panes of glass on the top and six on the bottom, with shutters on the outside. At the front of the house, there's a porch with columns. It has pretty Gothic details, which are decorative designs.
You can even see the year the house was built, 1852, carved into a stone block above a window on the east side. There's also a covered porch at the back of the house.
