Ezekiel Emerson Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ezekiel Emerson Farm
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | VT 73, Rochester, Vermont |
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| Area | 38 acres (15 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| MPS | Agricultural Resources of Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 01001284 |
| Added to NRHP | November 29, 2001 |
The Ezekiel Emerson Farm, also known as Apple Hill Farm, is a historic farm property in Rochester, Vermont. You can find it at 936 Brandon Mountain Road (Vermont Route 73). This farm covers about 38 acres of land. It used to be even bigger, at 55 acres!
The farm has some well-preserved old buildings. These include a barn built in the mid-1800s and a milk barn from around 1920-1940. They are great examples of farm buildings from those times. The main house, while not fancy on its own, has a beautiful porch from the late 1800s. Because of its history and well-kept buildings, the Ezekiel Emerson Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
Contents
Exploring the Ezekiel Emerson Farm Buildings
The Ezekiel Emerson Farm is located along Vermont Route 73 (Brandon Mountain Road). It sits in a quiet, rural part of western Rochester. The farm is on the eastern side of Vermont's Green Mountains. Most of the farm's land is north of the road. There is also a strip of land south of the road, which was traditionally used for cutting hay. This strip runs along the West Branch of the White River.
The Farmhouse: A Glimpse into the Past
The main farm buildings are grouped together on the north side of the road. The farmhouse is near the western end of this group. It's a wooden house with 1 and a half stories, built around 1840. The house was changed a bit in the late 1890s. Its most special part is a fancy wraparound porch. This porch goes across the front of the house and along one side.
Other Important Farm Structures
Attached to the northwest corner of the house is an old horse and carriage barn. Today, this building is used as a garage and a shed. East of the house, you'll find a large bank barn. A bank barn is a special type of barn built into the side of a hill. This allows you to enter the barn on different levels. This barn has a gabled roof and siding made of boards and battens.
Near the barn, but facing the house, is a small, single-story wooden milking house. It has a shed roof. This building is now used as a toolshed. You can also find the foundations of an old potato storage building behind the main barn.
A Timeline of the Farm's History
The Ezekiel Emerson Farm has a long and interesting history. It started with a wealthy landowner from Rochester named Ephraim Briggs. He likely had the house built around 1840. In 1842, he sold a 42-acre piece of land to Solomon Nott.
From Nott to the Emerson Family
Solomon Nott sold the property to the town of Rochester in 1856. The town then rented the farm out. Later, they sold it to members of the Emerson family. The Emersons ran a small dairy farm here. They also grew crops like grain and potatoes.
It is believed that Ezekiel Emerson built the large barn in the 1870s. This was after he became the owner of the property from other family members.
Modern Changes and Uses
Ezekiel Emerson later sold the rights to use water from the White River. This water was used to build a hydroelectric power plant. This plant brought electricity to Rochester for the very first time! The money Ezekiel earned from this deal probably helped him make the farmhouse much bigger.
After Ezekiel Emerson sold the farm in 1907, it had several different owners. Most of them continued to use the farm for dairying (raising dairy cows). In the 1990s, the farm was changed into a bed and breakfast. As of 2016, the Ezekiel Emerson Farm is used as a horse farm.
