The Homestead Farm

The Homestead Farm. Birthplace of the Telegraph. , Speedwell was an agricultural unit as well as an industrial one. Although Stephen Vail was a noted ironmaker, his world was firmly based on a centuries old agrarian lifestyle. The Homestead Farm had to be run with the same care and skill as the ironworks. Carefully managed, the farm provided for most of his family’s needs., Stephen purchased the 45-acre Homestead Farm in 1830 from his son-in-law, Dayton I. Canfield, for $2,600 and added another 34 acres in 1836. Wheat, corn, and oats were grown on the farm and large vegetable gardens were laid out just east of the Carriage House. An orchard provided apples, peaches and cherries. Activity centered around the farmyard, where animals were kept and grain and hay stored. Farm and factory coexisted side-by-side and Stephen shared his energy between the two., Today Historic Speedwell preserves the entire 7.5 acres of the Vail Estate. The farmland was sold to a development company in 1955 and the two barns burned in the 1960’s. The site of the Ironworks across the street at Speedwell Lake is a park. The farmyard is gone, replaced by the historic L’Hommedieu and Estey Houses moved from the center of Morristown. The Carriage House and Granary are the only reminders that this was once a working farm., The Homestead Farm was the working center of the agricultural side of the Vail Estate. There was a cow barn, a stable for horses, and a hay barn to store fodder. A fence between the barns and the pond formed a small compound. Behind the buildings was a greenhouse and a large vegetable garden. The cured grains grown on the farm were stored in the Granary. Ice from the pond was stored for use in the summer and there was a shed to store firewood for the winter. Two carriage houses held the family’s vehicles.