Museum Tour: Property Overview
L to R: Farmhouse, garage, windmill, corn crib, carriage house, barn, farm tool field, schoolhouse
Overview
The Historical Society of West Windsor operates out of the Schenck Farmstead at 50 Southfield Road. The farmstead has been in continuous use since at least the mid-1700s, and lies in the eastern half of West Windsor - part of a ~4,500-acre tract purchased from NJ Governor Andrew Hamilton by New York City goldsmith David Lyell (of “Penn-Lyle Road”) in 1697.
The likely first owner of an operational farm here was Cornelius Voorhies, who may have rented out the land at first from Fenwick Lyell, son of David. Cornelius' name appears on a 1731 map of David Lyell's properties and he is known to have purchased it c. 1741/2. The farm likely passed through the Voorhies lineage until 1818, when Samuel Fisher acquired it from the heirs of William Voorhies. From there, it was sold to John S Fisher in 1852. John and Samuel may have been the same person; research is ongoing.
John S. Fisher is known to have owned slaves as shown in the 1830, 1840, and 1860 federal censuses. One of the last two known slaves in West Windsor, named Diana Updike, is listed in 1860. She may have been one of the last twenty slaves in the state.
John deeded the property to his son Samuel in 1864. It was then sold to George Young in 1865, to James H. Everett in 1868, and to Thomas S. Everett later in 1868. An 1875 map of the township shows Thomas Brokaw owning the property. Finally, in 1899, John and Anna Schenck, who had rented the farm since 1888, purchased the 104 acre property, including its farmhouse, barns and outbuildings. From then on, it became known as the "Schenck Farmstead."
23 years later, their son, Walter, and his wife Mabel purchased the farm. A picture of how the farm was laid out in 1920 can be found here. Crops grown on the farm included hay, wheat, rye, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and beans. There was a large kitchen garden behind the house which supplemented meals with additional fruits and vegetables. Cattle, pigs, chickens, and cows were also raised here and were used for a variety of purposes ranging from meat to manure to household products such as down pillows and leather.
Walter and Mabel had two sons - Wilton and Warren. In 1963, four years after Walter Schenck's death, Wilton purchased the farm from his mother and in 1971 sold it to Max Zaitz, a successful farmer who owned hundreds of land in the area, who rented it to various tenants. In 1991, Zaitz, generously donated the farmhouse and 2 acres of property to the township for its dual use as museum and operational farm. The next year, he donated an additional 115 acres. Over the years, its previously dilapidated farmhouse, barn, and outbuildings have been meticulously rebuilt, to preserve the heritage of this property and West Windsor history.
Most of the buildings you see below are explored in their own sections on this website. Inside the barn, carriage house, farm house, and schoolhouse are thousands of artifacts, some centuries old and emblematic of the agrarian lifestyle that dominated West Windsor in centuries past. In addition are multiple exhibits exploring the history of the farmstead, the history of West Windsor and the surrounding region, and environmental/historical preservation. Please visit the Schenck Farmstead to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the township from decades and centuries past!
The Historical Society of West Windsor operates out of the Schenck Farmstead at 50 Southfield Road. The farmstead has been in continuous use since at least the mid-1700s, and lies in the eastern half of West Windsor - part of a ~4,500-acre tract purchased from NJ Governor Andrew Hamilton by New York City goldsmith David Lyell (of “Penn-Lyle Road”) in 1697.
The likely first owner of an operational farm here was Cornelius Voorhies, who may have rented out the land at first from Fenwick Lyell, son of David. Cornelius' name appears on a 1731 map of David Lyell's properties and he is known to have purchased it c. 1741/2. The farm likely passed through the Voorhies lineage until 1818, when Samuel Fisher acquired it from the heirs of William Voorhies. From there, it was sold to John S Fisher in 1852. John and Samuel may have been the same person; research is ongoing.
John S. Fisher is known to have owned slaves as shown in the 1830, 1840, and 1860 federal censuses. One of the last two known slaves in West Windsor, named Diana Updike, is listed in 1860. She may have been one of the last twenty slaves in the state.
John deeded the property to his son Samuel in 1864. It was then sold to George Young in 1865, to James H. Everett in 1868, and to Thomas S. Everett later in 1868. An 1875 map of the township shows Thomas Brokaw owning the property. Finally, in 1899, John and Anna Schenck, who had rented the farm since 1888, purchased the 104 acre property, including its farmhouse, barns and outbuildings. From then on, it became known as the "Schenck Farmstead."
23 years later, their son, Walter, and his wife Mabel purchased the farm. A picture of how the farm was laid out in 1920 can be found here. Crops grown on the farm included hay, wheat, rye, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and beans. There was a large kitchen garden behind the house which supplemented meals with additional fruits and vegetables. Cattle, pigs, chickens, and cows were also raised here and were used for a variety of purposes ranging from meat to manure to household products such as down pillows and leather.
Walter and Mabel had two sons - Wilton and Warren. In 1963, four years after Walter Schenck's death, Wilton purchased the farm from his mother and in 1971 sold it to Max Zaitz, a successful farmer who owned hundreds of land in the area, who rented it to various tenants. In 1991, Zaitz, generously donated the farmhouse and 2 acres of property to the township for its dual use as museum and operational farm. The next year, he donated an additional 115 acres. Over the years, its previously dilapidated farmhouse, barn, and outbuildings have been meticulously rebuilt, to preserve the heritage of this property and West Windsor history.
Most of the buildings you see below are explored in their own sections on this website. Inside the barn, carriage house, farm house, and schoolhouse are thousands of artifacts, some centuries old and emblematic of the agrarian lifestyle that dominated West Windsor in centuries past. In addition are multiple exhibits exploring the history of the farmstead, the history of West Windsor and the surrounding region, and environmental/historical preservation. Please visit the Schenck Farmstead to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the township from decades and centuries past!
