M. S. Whitcomb Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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M.S. Whitcomb Farm
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | US 2, Richmond, Vermont |
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| Area | 170 acres (69 ha) |
| Built | 1851 |
| Architectural style | Bank Barn |
| MPS | Agricultural Resources of Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001010 |
| Added to NRHP | September 30, 1993 |
The M.S. Whitcomb Farm is a special old farm in Richmond, Vermont. It's located right on Route 2. This farm started way back in the 1850s. It was first a place where horses were raised! Since then, it has always been used for farming. One of the coolest things about the farm is its huge bank barn. This barn has a unique monitor roof and was built in 1901. The farm covers about 170 acres today. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 because of its history.
About the Whitcomb Farm
The Whitcomb Farm is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Richmond village. It's shaped a bit like a triangle. Interstate 89 runs along its south side. Route 2 also goes right through the farm.
Farm Layout and Buildings
The land south of Route 2 is low and flat. This area is near the Winooski River. Farmers traditionally used it for growing crops. The land north of Route 2 is hillier. This part was usually used for animals to graze.
The main farm buildings are on the north side of Route 2. The most noticeable building is a very large, three-story bank barn. You can even see it from the interstate! This barn has a special monitor roof. A bank barn is built into a hillside. This allows you to enter different levels from the ground. A monitor roof has a raised section along the top. This section has windows to let in light and air.
At the west end of the farm is the farmhouse. It's a 2.5-story wooden house. It looks like it's built in the Italianate style. The original house from 1875 burned down in 1982. But it was rebuilt using some parts that survived. There is also a metal storage barn built around 1975. It has a round roof.
Farm History
People started clearing this land for farming in the early 1800s. A famous person was born here in 1821: George F. Edmunds. He later became a United States Senator from Vermont.
The farm as we know it today began in the early 1850s. A man named William Freeman started it. He used it to breed horses. In 1854, he sold the farm to M.S. Manwell.
By the late 1880s, Moses S. Whitcomb brought this farm and other lands together. He turned it into a large dairy farm. Moses Whitcomb is known for building the amazing monitor-roofed bank barn in 1901. This type of barn is very rare in Vermont. It's one of the only ones like it in the whole state!
