Wheeler Family Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wheeler Family Farmstead
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 817 S. Main St., Great Barrington, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | c. 1733 |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000614 |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 2011 |
The Wheeler Family Farmstead is a very old farm in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It is located at 817 South Main Street. The main farmhouse has parts that are from the 1730s. It even shows how Dutch settlers from the Hudson River valley built things.
Over the years, people have changed and added to the house. The last big changes happened in the 1920s. All the farm buildings still standing are at least 90 years old. Some were built in the 1800s. In 2011, this special place was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is a museum and the main office for the Great Barrington Historical Society.
Exploring the Wheeler Farmstead
The Wheeler farm is on a 1.5-acre piece of land. It sits between United States Route 7 and the Housatonic River. This land is just a small part of what was once a much bigger farm. That farm stretched from the river all the way past the road.
The farmstead, on the east side of the road, has the main house. It also has several barns, stables, a carriage house, and a silo. The farmhouse is a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and wooden shingles on the outside.
The Farmhouse's Design
The front of the house looks balanced with five sections. It has simple windows and a door in the middle. Even though it looks even, the house is actually a mix of many additions. These additions show building styles from over 150 years.
The oldest part of the house was built around 1733. This section used building methods from Dutch settlers. The house got its current shape after many additions in the 1800s. Most of these changes were made by the Wheeler family. They bought the farm in 1747.
A Look Back in Time
Before European settlers arrived, Native American people lived on this land. Truman Wheeler bought the property in 1764. He was from Connecticut. He ran a store inside the house until he passed away in 1815.
Truman Wheeler was also active in local government. He was a leader in the local army during the American Revolutionary War. Members of the Wheeler family lived on the farm until 1988. In 2008, their family gave the farm to the Great Barrington Historical Society.
See also
