Our Farm's Story

La Basse Cour was first settled in the mid 1800’s as a diversified family farm. Many of the outbuildings remain today, including a chicken house, a pig house, a sheep house, and of course a cow barn and a carriage house for the horses that once powered the plows. As the dairy business in Delaware County thrived, so did this farm. And as dairy has slowly moved west and south, this dairy farm was transformed into a sheep farm.

Of the original 372 acres, only 32.5 remain—the best, most productive cropland was sold off for second homes because the economics of dairying in the Northeast in the 1980’s was so poor. Next, for a short while the farm became a gentleman’s farm. The farmhouse was lovingly restored and the land was used to graze beautiful Belgian draft horses. Now, we are passionately restoring barns and outbuildings, raising chickens and vegetables and dreaming of the day when this farm comes full circle—a diversified family farm once again.  Read more about our plans for the farm by clicking here...

Those Who Have Been Part of this Story...thus far

A little bit of detective work was required to piece the farm back together! The first deed recording we could find lists Samuel Craig  who sold 205 acres to David Dixon in 1833.  The next mentions Moses Kilpatrick and his wife Mary Ann who sold 100 acres in 1853 to Orrin Hanford.  Charles and Eliza Hanford must have inherited this land from Orrin, as they are listed as the sellers to David and Elizabeth Dixon in 1866. The Hanford’s built the farmhouse in 1853, and even signed and dated the plaster on the wall in the parlor!

At this point the entire 372 acres was assembled by the Dixon’s, and eventually sold to Herman and Florence Bouton in 1914.  The Bouton’s then sold the farm to brothers Paul and Grant White in 1935. 

The White Family owned the tract until 1985 when all but 32.5 acres was leased and then sold to Einar Eklund.  The remaining parcel, including the farmhouse and all the outbuildings, was sold to Gary Cordial and Deborah Alton in 1991.  We bought it from Deborah in 1996.