Westover–Bacon–Potts Farm facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Westover–Bacon–Potts Farm
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
South elevation, east profile, 2014
Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	62 Undermountain Rd., Egremont, Massachusetts
Area	150 acres (61 ha)
Built	1744 (1744)
Architectural style	Georgian
NRHP reference No.	90000157
Added to NRHP	July 27, 1990

The Westover–Bacon–Potts Farm is a very old and special farm located in Egremont, Massachusetts. It sits along Massachusetts Route 41. This farm started way back in 1744. It covers about 150 acres, which is like 113 football fields! It's one of the best-kept old farms in the whole Berkshire County area. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Today, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy owns the farm. They call it the Kellogg Conservation Center.

What Does the Farm Look Like?

The Westover–Bacon–Potts Farm is in a quiet, country part of Egremont. It has 150 acres of land. A road called Undermountain Road cuts through the middle of the farm. Warner Road is to the north, and the famous Appalachian Trail is to the south.

The main farm buildings are on the west side of Undermountain Road. The farmhouse faces east. It's a two-and-a-half-story house made of wood. It has a pointy roof and a chimney in the middle. The back of the roof goes all the way down to the first floor. This gives the house a classic "saltbox" shape, which was popular a long time ago.

Besides the main house, there are other old farm buildings from the 1800s. There's also a garage that was built more recently in the 1900s.

A Look Back in Time: The Farm's History

The land for this farm was first bought in 1744 by a man named Jonah Westover. He was the one who built the original farmhouse that you can still see today.

In the 1790s, the farm was sold to the Bacon family. They owned it for a very long time, all the way until 1965! During all those years, not much was changed or updated in the house. This is why it still looks so much like it did hundreds of years ago.

In 1965, a family called the Goldricks bought the farm. They were antique dealers and knew a lot about old buildings. They made some updates to the house, but they were very careful. They wanted to keep its old look and feel. Later owners have also been careful when making changes. This is why the house is still one of the best-preserved old houses in Egremont.

The Farm Today: A Home for Conservation

In 2004, a woman named Mary-Margaret Kellogg gave her home, "April Hill," and 95 acres of land to the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC). The ATC is a group that helps take care of the Appalachian Trail.

Now, the Westover–Bacon–Potts Farm is used as the main office for the ATC in this area. It also serves as an office for the Appalachian Mountain Club. These groups work to protect nature and help people enjoy the outdoors.