Coggeshall Farm Museum facts for kids
Coggeshall Farm Museum
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| Established | 1973 |
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| Location | Colt State Park, Bristol, Rhode Island |
| Type | farm museum |
Coggeshall Farm Museum is a special place in Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island, U.S.A. It's a non-profit museum, which means it's run for a good cause, not to make money. This museum helps visitors experience what farm life was like way back in the 1700s.
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Step Back in Time at Coggeshall Farm
This museum is like a living history book! It's set on 48 acres of land in Bristol. Here, you can see what a coastal tenant farm looked like in the year 1799.
What is a Tenant Farm?
A tenant farm was a farm where a family lived and worked the land. They didn't own the land themselves. Instead, they rented it from a landowner. They often paid their rent with a share of the crops they grew.
A Glimpse into the Past
At Coggeshall Farm, you'll meet "interpreters." These are people who dress and act like farmers from 1799. They show you what daily life was like. You can see how they farmed, cooked, and lived without modern technology. It's like stepping into a time machine!
The Coggeshall Family Story
In the early 1800s, a family named Wilbur and Eliza Coggeshall lived and worked on this very farm. They were tenant farmers. Their son, Chandler Coggeshall, grew up to be an important person. He became a politician, which means he helped make decisions for the community. He also helped start what is now the University of Rhode Island in 1888.
From Farm to Museum
Later, the farm became part of a larger property called the Colt Estate. In 1965, the State of Rhode Island bought the Colt Estate. They wanted to turn it into a state park. The Bristol Historical Society then asked the state if they could save the old farmhouse. They wanted to turn it into a museum.
In 1968, the Historical Society signed a lease. They built other farm buildings to make it look just like it did long ago. Finally, in 1973, the Coggeshall Farm Museum officially opened. Its main goal is to teach people today about how New England farmers lived in the 1700s.
