Park Farm (Grafton, Vermont) facts for kids
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Park Farm
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 26 Woodchuck Hill Rd., Grafton, Vermont |
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| Area | 65 acres (26 ha) |
| Built | 1820 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Middletown Rural Historic District (ID11000101) |
| MPS | Agricultural Resources of Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000737 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 4, 2003 |
| Designated CP | March 21, 2011 |
Park Farm is a really old and special farm located at 26 Woodchuck Hill Road in Grafton, Vermont. It's like a time capsule showing what a typical farm in Vermont looked like way back in the 1800s. The main farmhouse was built around 1820, and most of the other buildings are from the 19th century too. Because it's so well-preserved and important, Park Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
What Makes Park Farm Special?
Park Farm covers about 65 acres (that's about 26 hectares) of land. It sits near the old town center of Grafton. You can find it at the corner of Woodchuck Hill Road and Middletown Road. The farm is surrounded by open fields and even has an old apple orchard! It's also part of a bigger area called the Middletown Rural Historic District, which means many old, important buildings are nearby.
Exploring the Farm Buildings
The main house at Park Farm is a 1½-story building made of wood. It's called a "Cape" style house, which was popular a long time ago. Over the years, some parts have been added to the house.
Around the main house, you'll find many other farm buildings. These include a chicken house, several barns, a sheep shed, and a place to keep farm equipment. These buildings are on both sides of Middletown Road. One of the oldest parts of the farm is a well that gets its water from a spring. It was built around 1790.
A Family's Legacy
Park Farm is famous for being owned by the same family, the Park family, for a very long time. They bought the farm in 1842. For eleven generations, the farm has stayed in their family! There was only a short time in the 1900s when it wasn't owned by a Park family member.
This farm shows how people used land and built farms in the 1800s. Almost all the buildings you see today were built during that century. The Park family used to own a lot of land in the area. This farm is the only one still owned by their descendants today. The farm's size has changed over time, but it was once as big as 200 acres (about 81 hectares).
