Cobblestone Farm and Museum facts for kids
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Dr. Benajah Ticknor House
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Front view
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2781 Packard Rd., Ann Arbor, Michigan |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1835 |
| Built by | Steven Mills |
| Architectural style | Cobblestone construction, Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000662 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1972 |
The Cobblestone Farm and Museum is a cool historical place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's also known as the Dr. Benajah Ticknor House. The museum gets its name from the special cobblestone rocks used to build the main farmhouse. It's like stepping back in time to see what farm life was like long ago! This important site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It was also named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973.
A Look Back in Time
The land where Cobblestone Farm stands has been used for farming since 1824. Ezra Maynard first cleared the land. In 1835, he sold the property to Heman Ticknor. Heman bought it for his brother, Dr. Benajah Ticknor. Benajah was a surgeon in the Navy.
That same year, Heman Ticknor built a small wooden house on the property. In 1844, Benajah Ticknor built the main cobblestone farmhouse. He probably had help from a builder named Steven Mills. Dr. Benajah Ticknor traveled a lot for his Navy work. But he retired to his farm in 1854 with his wife, Getia, and their two adopted daughters. Benajah Ticknor passed away in 1858. His large collection of medical books was given to the University of Michigan.
New Owners and Changes
In 1860, Horace Booth bought the farm from Getia Ticknor. Horace and his son, Nelson, worked on the farm and made improvements. They added a fountain that you can still see today.
In 1881, William Campbell bought the farm. His family continued to farm the land until 1955. The Campbell family owned the property until 1972. That's when the city of Ann Arbor bought it. The city wanted to turn it into a museum.
The Farm Today
Today, the farm looks like it did in the mid-1800s. It helps people learn about the early history of the area. The city of Ann Arbor owns the site as a city park. The Cobblestone Farm Association helps manage it. Besides being a great place to learn, the farm also hosts fun events. These include picnics, fairs, and even weddings.
What You Can See
The Dr. Benajah Ticknor House is a two-story house. It's built in a style called Classical Revival. The walls are made of cobblestones laid in a cool zigzag pattern. The front door has fancy columns on each side. The corners of the house have special stone blocks called quoins.
The back part of the house is a smaller, wooden section. This was the original house built in 1835 by Heman Ticknor. Inside the kitchen, there's a big fireplace. It has a special oven for baking and a water heater. These were made from bricks shaped by hand. The house has not changed much over the years. Both the outside and inside look mostly original.
Other Buildings
Besides the main cobblestone farmhouse, the museum property has other buildings. You can see a large barn, a tool shed, a corn crib, and a smokehouse. There's also an old log cabin from around 1835. It was moved to the farm from another part of Washtenaw County.
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Cobblestone Farm Ticknor-Campbell House, rear view
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Cobblestone Farm barns
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Cobblestone Farm historical marker
