Woodbridge Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Woodbridge Farm
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 29, 30, and 90 Woodbridge Rd., Salem, Connecticut |
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| Area | 152 acres (62 ha) |
| Built | 1792 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 97001467 |
| Added to NRHP | December 1, 1997 |
The Woodbridge Farm is a very old farm in Salem, Connecticut. It has a long history, going back over 200 years! Nathaniel Woodbridge started the farm in 1791. His family owned and worked on the land for many decades.
The farm has an old farmhouse that was updated in the early 1900s. It became a beautiful country house with a style called Colonial Revival. Because of its long history and special buildings, Woodbridge Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This means it's an important historical site.
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Exploring Woodbridge Farm
Woodbridge Farm is located in the southwest part of Salem. It covers more than 150 acres (61 ha) of land. Woodbridge Road runs through the property, dividing it. Most of the land is covered in woods. About 45 acres (18 ha) is open land, which is mostly used for pastures where animals can graze.
The main farm buildings are on the north side of Woodbridge Road. There's also a small family cemetery hidden in a wooded area nearby. The farm complex includes the main house and another building. These two buildings create a partly enclosed farmyard.
The Main Farmhouse
The main house is two and a half stories tall. It has a main section with a pointed roof and a chimney in the middle. The outside is covered with wooden boards called clapboards. Later, in the 1900s, extra parts were added to the left and back of the house.
Other Farm Buildings
Next to the main house is another important building. It started as a barn in the 1800s, built on an even older foundation. Over time, stables and sheds were added to this barn, making it bigger. These buildings helped the farm work and house animals.
A Farm's Long Story
The story of Woodbridge Farm begins even before Nathaniel Woodbridge. In 1700, a man named Samuel Browne from Salem, Massachusetts bought a huge piece of land, about 10,000 acres (4,000 ha). The Browne family never lived on this land. Instead, they rented it out to farmers.
The American Revolution's Impact
During the American Revolution, things changed for the Browne family. Samuel's grandson, William Browne, supported the British king. People who supported the king during the Revolution were called Loyalists. Because William was a Loyalist, he left America and went to England in 1776. The American government then took his land.
New Owners and New Beginnings
The land was sold at an auction. Thomas Shaw, from New London, bought this part of the property. In 1791, he built the farmhouse for his nephew, Nathaniel Woodbridge. This was around the time Nathaniel got married for the first time.
Returning to the Family
In the mid-1800s, the farm was sold outside of the Woodbridge family. But in 1900, Nathaniel Woodbridge's grandson, Alfred Mitchell, bought it back! The Mitchell family then made big changes. They turned the old farmhouse into a country estate. They kept most of the original parts of the house but added the new sections. When the farm was listed as a historic place in 1997, it was still owned by Alfred Mitchell's daughters.
