The Ayres Farm
Overview
Time-worn, but not forgotten: two ancient, decaying barns stand side-by-side on Old Trenton Road. You are looking at the last vestiges of the Ayres Farm.
While the exact origins of this property have been lost to time, we do know that before 1836, a farmer named Robert Ayres bought hundreds of acres of land just south of the intersection of Rt 571 and Old Trenton Rd. Straddling the border of East and West Windsor, the Ayres Farm was passed to Enos Ayres (perhaps Robert’s son) that year. Enos briefly served on the Township Committee (1846-1847) and was a Commissioner of Tax Appeals (1858-1860).
The large white house in the adjacent photograph was probably constructed in the 1850s. Enos likely built it to replace an older dwelling located directly across the road. There he lived with his wife Ida, seven children, and a farm laborer, Theodore Story. The family likely grew local staples such as potatoes, corn, and wheat.
In 1886, after at least half a century of Ayres ownership, Randolph Chamberlin – WW Poundkeeper from 1892-1903 – acquired the farm. A succession of families bought and sold the tract, ending with Irving H. & Laura B. Everett in 1931. The Everett family maintained ownership until at least 1974, when Nassau Builders, Inc. acquired the property. Eventually Thompson Realty Co. inherited Nassau Builder’s assets, and owns the land today.
Yet, even though the decaying house was demolished in 2019, the property is still farmed, as evidenced by the fields of crops surrounding the ancient outbuildings that stand to this day. But that may soon change. A proposal to develop “Heritage Village,” consisting of 194 residential units (as of September 2020) will transform the site. While these plans have been presented to the Planning Board and may well come to fruition, for now, in late 2020, the last remnants of the Ayres farm remain.
For more on Heritage Village, click here.
Time-worn, but not forgotten: two ancient, decaying barns stand side-by-side on Old Trenton Road. You are looking at the last vestiges of the Ayres Farm.
While the exact origins of this property have been lost to time, we do know that before 1836, a farmer named Robert Ayres bought hundreds of acres of land just south of the intersection of Rt 571 and Old Trenton Rd. Straddling the border of East and West Windsor, the Ayres Farm was passed to Enos Ayres (perhaps Robert’s son) that year. Enos briefly served on the Township Committee (1846-1847) and was a Commissioner of Tax Appeals (1858-1860).
The large white house in the adjacent photograph was probably constructed in the 1850s. Enos likely built it to replace an older dwelling located directly across the road. There he lived with his wife Ida, seven children, and a farm laborer, Theodore Story. The family likely grew local staples such as potatoes, corn, and wheat.
In 1886, after at least half a century of Ayres ownership, Randolph Chamberlin – WW Poundkeeper from 1892-1903 – acquired the farm. A succession of families bought and sold the tract, ending with Irving H. & Laura B. Everett in 1931. The Everett family maintained ownership until at least 1974, when Nassau Builders, Inc. acquired the property. Eventually Thompson Realty Co. inherited Nassau Builder’s assets, and owns the land today.
Yet, even though the decaying house was demolished in 2019, the property is still farmed, as evidenced by the fields of crops surrounding the ancient outbuildings that stand to this day. But that may soon change. A proposal to develop “Heritage Village,” consisting of 194 residential units (as of September 2020) will transform the site. While these plans have been presented to the Planning Board and may well come to fruition, for now, in late 2020, the last remnants of the Ayres farm remain.
For more on Heritage Village, click here.
The Ayres farm in 2018