The
Morrison Farmstead, also known as Homestead Farms, is a remarkably
intact example of a Rensselaer County farmstead that retains evidence
of significant stages of its history. It stands as a record of growth
and development of a working farmstead. The farm, established by Henry
Morrison as early as 1769 and formalized in 1789, when he leased the
land from the last Patroon, Stephen Van Rensselaer, is associated
with the earliest European settlement of the interior of Rensselaer
County.
The
elegant home farm building constructed for Henry Morrison in the 1820s
is an example of a rural Federal-style house. The workmanship of the
woodwork and stenciling are quite refined for a typical farm. The
farm was associated with the Morrison family, passing from father
to son, over a period of 150 years, between 1789 and 1942. The farmstead
evolved over that period from subsistence farming to profitable dairy
farming. It includes domestic and agricultural buildings including
the farmhouse, barns, hen houses, and a granary.
Source:
Adapted from the United States Department of the Interior. National
Park Services. National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet.
