---

Farming in Pleasant Valley: The Timeless World of Howell Living History Farm

Turning off Route 29 in Mercer County, New Jersey, the roar of modern life fades away. You enter a lush valley of rolling hills and babbling brooks known historically as Pleasant Valley.

Here, just 12 miles north of Trenton, time has stopped.

This is the Howell Living History Farm. Unlike a static museum where artifacts sit behind glass, this is a working farm that operates exactly as it would have between 1890 and 1910. There are no tractors here—only draft horses and oxen. It is a preservation of the “Garden State’s” agricultural roots, offering a visceral look at the hard work and hope that defined the lives of New Jersey farmers for centuries.

The Origins of Pleasant Valley

Long before it was a park, this land was the livelihood of the Phillips family.

• The Early Settlers: As early as 1732, Joseph Phillips purchased 125 acres of fertile land in Hopewell Township.
• The Phillips Dynasty: The land passed to John Phillips (a blacksmith) in 1837 and remained in the family until 1860. During this time, they constructed the original stone section of the farmhouse and the earliest barns.

By the late 19th century, the farm changed hands several times, reflecting the economic volatility of the era. It was owned by Charles Miller (who lost it in a Sheriff’s sale in 1896), bought by investors, and worked by tenant farmers who raised everything from dairy cows to goats.

The Gift of Inez Howell

The farm’s modern history began in 1962, when Charles and Inez Howell purchased the property.

They loved the land, but Charles passed away shortly after the purchase. In 1974, Inez Howell made a decision that would save the valley forever. She donated the property to Mercer County with a specific vision: she didn’t want a park; she wanted a working farm. She wanted a place where families could get their hands dirty and learn about the agrarian cycle of planting, harvesting, and animal husbandry.

Today, the Mercer County Park Commission honors that wish. The farm is not a petting zoo; it is a fully operational agricultural site using the tools and techniques of the turn of the 20th century.

Architecture of Necessity

The buildings at Howell Farm tell the story of how farming evolved in New Jersey.

The Phillips Barn: The massive barn is actually a collection of buildings stitched together over a century.

• The Origins: It began as two separate “English Barns” built in the mid-1800s—one for horses, one for grain.
• The Dairy Boom: In the 1920s, the space between them was filled in to accommodate dairy cows.
• The Expansion: In the 1940s, an entirely different barn frame was moved from a neighboring farm and attached to the structure to allow for a milking parlor.

The Farmhouse: The residence is a blend of a circa-1800 stone house and a massive 1830s frame addition. During a 2010 restoration, historians uncovered a time capsule of sorts: a filled-in window frame covered in plaster that contained 19th-century “graffiti.”

• Scribbled on the wood were names, the date “July 21, 1865,” and the location “Pennington, N.J.“
• It also featured a poignant line of poetry by Thomas Haynes Bayly: “Yes, yes, of all this the remembrance will last / Long after the present fades into the past.”

The Living Experience

A visit to Howell Farm is designed to act as a decompression chamber. Visitors park their cars and walk a scenic gravel path, crossing a wooden bridge over a stream before arriving at the farmstead.

Once there, the sights and sounds are strictly pre-World War I:

• The Animals: You won’t find tractors, but you will find teams of oxen and draft horses plowing the fields. The farm also houses sheep, hogs, and chickens in a reproduction brooder.
• The Ice House: Built in the mid-1800s near the farm pond, this stone structure can hold 25 tons of ice—essential for keeping dairy cool in the days before electricity.
• The Rhythm: The activities change with the seasons. In spring, it is plowing and shearing; in summer, wheat harvesting; in autumn, corn husking; and in winter, ice harvesting on the pond.

If You Visit

Howell Living History Farm is part of the Mercer County Park System and is open to the public year-round.

• Location: 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530.
• Admission: Admission and parking are generally free, though there may be small fees for corn mazes or hayrides during special events.
• Participation: This is a “living” history site—visitors are often encouraged to help with chores, from shelling corn to gathering eggs.

---

For More Information

Howell Living History Farm (www.howellfarm.org)