Smith Family Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smith Family Farm |
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The Smiths' frame home
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| Location | Townships of Palmyra, Wayne County and Manchester, Ontario County, New York,  United States |
| Founded | 1820s |
| Governing body | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
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The Smith Family Farm was the childhood home of Joseph Smith. He was the person who started the Latter Day Saint movement.
This farm is located in Palmyra, Wayne County, New York, and Manchester, Ontario County, New York. It includes a special place called the Sacred Grove. There is also the Smiths' restored frame house and a rebuilt log cabin.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the LDS Church) bought the farm in 1915. In the 1990s, the church fixed up the frame house. They also rebuilt the log cabin and added a welcome center for visitors. Church missionaries offer free tours of the farm.
History of the Smith Family Farm
In 1816, Joseph Smith Sr., his wife Lucy Mack Smith, and their children moved to Palmyra, New York. They came from Norwich, Vermont.
Around 1818 or 1819, the family built a log home. This home was on land near property owned by Nicholas Evertson. They officially agreed to buy the land in 1820. Joseph Smith Sr. planned to pay between $600 and $700 for the 100-acre farm.
In 1825, the Smith family moved into a bigger, more comfortable frame house. They had built this house on their property. However, they had trouble making payments for the land. A carpenter who built the house sued them for his costs in February 1825.
The land agent for the Evertson estate also took back the farm. But a kind Quaker man named Lemuel Durfee bought it. He allowed the Smith family to rent the frame house. They stayed there until they moved back to the log home in the spring of 1829. The Smiths left the area completely in 1830.
The Farm Becomes a Historic Site
The LDS Church bought the farm in 1907. It officially became part of the church's care in 1915. Joseph F. Smith, who was the president of the LDS Church at the time, helped make this purchase happen.
The grove of trees on the farm is a very important place. It is where Joseph Smith is believed to have had his First Vision. This grove became a special place for people to visit. In 1920, celebrations were held there to mark 100 years since the family moved to the area.
