Leavitt Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Leavitt Farm
|
|
 |
|
 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 103 Old Loudon Rd., Concord, New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Area | 12.7 acres (5.1 ha) |
| Built | 1847 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001692 |
| Added to NRHP | March 11, 1982 |
Leavitt Farm is a special old farm located at 103 Old Loudon Road in Concord, New Hampshire. It has three important buildings from the 1800s. These include the main farmhouse, which was built around 1847 in the Greek Revival style. There's also a large shop and barn from about 1888, and an old outhouse that became a well pumphouse.
These buildings were first built by Jonathan Leavitt, who was a farmer and a blacksmith. Later, his son Almah, a sign painter, owned the farm. The shop building is very interesting because it was used for many different things over time. It even has a ballroom on its second floor, which is unusual for a farm building! Leavitt Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it's a very important historical site.
Contents
Discovering Leavitt Farm's Buildings
Leavitt Farm is in eastern Concord, New Hampshire. It covers about 12.7 acres of land. The main buildings are close to Old Loudon Road.
The Farmhouse and Barn
The farmhouse is a 1½-story building, meaning it has one main floor and a half-story upstairs. It's built in the Cape-style, with a pointed roof and a chimney in the middle. The outside is covered with wooden boards called clapboards. The front door has special windows on the sides and a decorated panel above it with stars.
The barn is shaped like an "L" and is also covered in wooden clapboards. It has entrances facing the front and to the right.
The Unique Shop Building
The shop is a two-story building made of wood. The first floor was used for work, like blacksmithing. The second floor has a beautiful ballroom! This room has plaster walls with stenciled designs. It's quite rare to find a ballroom in a farm shop.
The Story of Leavitt Farm's Owners
The land for Leavitt Farm was bought by Jonathan Leavitt in 1847. He started as a farmer. Later in his life, he also worked as a blacksmith. He did his blacksmith work in the shop building. It's thought that he might have hosted social events for the community in the ballroom upstairs.
Jonathan's son, Almah Leavitt, bought the farm from his father in 1888. Almah used the shop to paint carriages and signs.
From Farm to Museum and Back
In 1980, a local historical society bought Leavitt Farm. They used it as a museum to show old carriages. This is an example of "adaptive reuse," where a building is changed to fit a new purpose. The society later moved to a new location. Today, Leavitt Farm is private property once again.
