Josiah and Lydia Shedd Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Josiah and Lydia Shedd Farmstead
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1721 Bayley-Hazen Rd., Peacham, Vermont |
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| Area | 25.6 acres (10.4 ha) |
| Built | 1830 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| MPS | Agricultural Resources of Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 05000188 |
| Added to NRHP | March 17, 2005 |
The Josiah and Lydia Shedd Farmstead is a very old farm property in Peacham, Vermont. It's located at 1721 Bayley-Hazen Road. This farm started way back in 1816! It shows us what a typical farm in Vermont looked like in the 1800s. The oldest buildings, like the main house and two barns, are from the early 1800s. Because it's so important, this farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
What Makes This Farm Special?
The Shedd Farmstead is in a quiet, country part of Peacham. It's on the west side of Bayley-Hazen Road. The farm used to be much bigger, about 100 acres. Now, it's about 25 acres on the west side of the road. Most of this land is covered in trees.
Exploring the Farm Buildings
The main farm buildings are grouped together near the southern part of the property. The farmhouse is closest to the road. It's a two-and-a-half story house made of wood. It's built in the Greek Revival style. This means it looks a bit like ancient Greek temples.
The house faces south and has five windows across the front. The main door is in the middle. It has tall, thin columns called pilasters on each side. Above the door is a small, gabled roof. A smaller, one-and-a-half story part of the house stretches out to the west.
Further away from the road, you'll find two old barns. These are called English bank barns. A bank barn is built into the side of a hill. This allows you to enter the barn on two different levels. The two barns here are connected, forming an "L" shape.
The Farm's Story: Who Lived Here?
Josiah and Lydia Shedd bought the land for this farm in 1816. We don't know if the land was already cleared for farming when they bought it. The main farmhouse you see today was built later, in the late 1830s. It was probably a gift for their daughter, Jane. She married Noah Worcester in 1841 but sadly passed away the next year.
The Shedds were important people in their town. Josiah was the town doctor for many years. Lydia was very active in helping others and doing good things for the community. After their daughter died, the Shedds rented out the farm to other families who would work the land. Later owners also rented it out. The farm stopped being used for farming in 1955.
