The Orchard

The Orchard. . , The cultivation of fruit trees was once a major component of family farming in Litchfield. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many families kept small orchards on their land. Apple trees are not native to North America, but became an important part of a homestead. In addition to providing nutritious fruit, surplus apples could be easily preserved and turned into cider, applejack, or cider vinegar., Tapping Reeve's probate records mention a 6.5-acre "orchard lot" as well as a "cyder mill." On North Street, Julius Deming's orchard contained sixty-five apple trees, a sizable crop for a family farm. The Wolcott family also owned a large orchard. Local lore says that Frederick Wolcott had most of the trees cut down as a result of local youths stealing his apples. One thief even brought a bag of stolen fruit to Wolcott's home, offering them for sale.,

"There are a number of beautiful flowers now in blossom in our Garden, and it never looked more pleasant around our house than it does at this time. Our Peach, cherry and plumb trees are extremely loaded and look very promising." , - Frederick Wolcott, 1806

, Fences , After clearing a piece of land, the next task was to enclose it with a fence or stone wall. Fences were used to mark boundaries, separate spaces, and contain livestock. There were as many names for fences as there were styles, including: blind, board, cradle, cross, hurdle, live, palisade, picket, post-and-rail, wattle, worm, and zigzag. Litchfield residents used different fence styles on their land depending on the desired function and the availability of materials and labor.,

"Miss Chandler has taken care of your Pickles and made you Sweet meats and a capital parcel of Candle and tomorrow she says she shall boil sweet cider and make apple and quince sauce…" , - Frederick Wolcott, 1811

, The Apple , The bronze apple seen on our stone wall is the work of Connecticut sculptor Peter Woytuk. Twenty-three of Woytuk's sculptures were installed on Broadway in New York City, including an elephant with a red apple in its trunk. The same apple now welcomes visitors to the Tapping Reeve Meadow and our orchard.