In 1829, Judge Samuel Nelson bought the farm to raise sheep. Fenimore Farm changed hands again in the 1870s, when it was sold to the Clark family. Around 1918, Edward Clark built a fully equipped cattle ranch for his prized herd. The barn, creamery, and herdsman's cottage are part of the museum complex today. Built of local stone in the Colonial Revival style, the buildings are now used as museum offices and are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The museum includes a number of authentic buildings that showcase rural New York villages of 150 years ago including a tavern, blacksmith shop, general store, schoolhouse, pharmacist's shop, print shop, a church and outbuildings, relocated from other towns in the area and furnished with traditional 1845 period pieces. These buildings and the antiques provide a glimpse into what life was like in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The museum's collection includes more than 23,000 artifacts.
Buildings are not the only representation of early colonial life here. The heritage gardens include a medicinal-herb garden at the Pharmacist's Shop and a formal garden near the Bump Tavern. On the border of the village there is a re-creation of an Iroquois log cabin, with a traditional herbal garden planted in the surrounding woods.
The barns, pastures and hillsides are alive with chickens, ducks, oxen and Devon cattle, a popular breed 150 years ago, at Lippitt Farmstead, a working farm. The collection of buildings includes a barn, animal sheds, a smokehouse, and the Lippitt family farmhouse.
As part of the museum programs, visitors can experience the daily life of a typical 19th century working farm, when it was a common custom to spin wool, cook over an open hearth, harvest hops, and make apple or pear cider.
Visit the museum store housed in the Herder's Cottage or set-a-spell at the Cottage restaurant, order a pot of tea, and delight in pastry baked on the farm. Take a trip back to a more peaceful time at the Farmers' Museum.
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