Pre-Revolutionary War Property Joins Howell Farm In Mercer County

MERCER COUNTY, NJ - Howell Living History Farm is getting bigger. A pre-Revolutionary War farmhouse and sheep barn will soon become part of Farm. Mercer County Executive Dan Benson announced the purchase of a 6-acre Valley Road property in Hopewell Township, expanding one of New Jersey's most visited free county parks.

The newly acquired property adds a significant piece of history to the farm and helps protect the natural and historic landscape of the area. The property's house and sheep barn were built by local farmer John Smith prior to the Revolutionary War.

Smith was a descendant of a family that had been established north of Trenton since the late 17th century. The original property included a sawmill that provided lumber, timber framing and fencing materials for the surrounding valley.

Howell Farm is a free county park where visitors can experience life on a working circa-1900 farm. More than 10,000 local schoolchildren and 55,000 other visitors come to the park each year to take part in horse-powered plowing, maple sugaring, cider pressing, corn and wheat harvests and other hands-on activities.

The county plans to extend Howell Farm's interactive programming to the new property. Future plans include the establishment of a historic sawmill for public education and the production of sustainably harvested wood materials for use across the county's park system.

"Growing tourism opportunities is a top priority for Mercer County, and is a big reason why we launched Mercer County's first-ever office of tourism," Benson said. "For over 40 years, Howell Living Farm has provided an incredible education and recreation opportunity for guests from all over the state. Expanding Howell Farm's footprint will only enhance this experience."

Howell Farm is part of the Pleasant Valley National Rural Historic District, which is listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places as an outstanding example of an agricultural landscape from the 18th and 19th centuries.

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