History of the Homestead

Our farmhouse and barns date back to 1820 and the land was continuously farmed up until the 1960's. Over our time here, various people have stopped by and told us stories about the previous occupants who lived in this house and worked the land.  A few years ago, a Mr. Markle came by and gave us a photo of the farmhouse from about 1905. His ancestors lived here from the 1860's to the early 1900's. The ladies in front of the horseless carriage are Mrs. Willis Markle and her friend Mrs. Edna McDonald. Life looks a bit hardscrabble back then, but this photo represents to us the morphing of the old life that moved at the speed of horses into the new faster paced world of the automobile. Electricity took another 25 or so years to reach the farm, and indoor plumbing wasn't installed until the 1940's. For most of the 20th century, John and Janet Milk lived here and ran the place as a small dairy, orchard and chicken farm. Mr. Milk was a stone mason who built our charming brick well that works with a bucket and rope and is very handy when the power goes out. Obviously, there have been changes since the 1905 photo, but we feel a kinship with the people who have gone before us and also made their living from the land. We hope this land will continue to nurture us, our clients, and any future residents.