Mark your Calendars...the TAG SALE is ON!
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The KHS Annual Tag Sale will be held outdoors at the Parmelee Farm on Saturday, May 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Everyone's sure to be ready for a day out shopping, so plan to come and see what treasures await: dishware, toys, antiques, art, books, jewelry, and more! We will follow current state guidelines for safe shopping and may limit the number of shoppers within tents. Masks will be required and we ask our shoppers maintain 6-foot social distance. |
A History of the Parmelee Farm
The Town of Killingworth purchased the 131-acre property now known as the Parmelee Farm in 2000. The property has become a community center with Community Gardens, hiking trails, and a place for many types of events. The house and garage have been leased to the Killingworth Historical Society, which is responsible for its maintenance and all utilities.
The farmhouse has been placed on the State Register of Historic Places. It is a rectangular (35’ x 25’), two-story timber-framed building oriented with a five-bay façade to the west and its gable ends to the north and south. At the building’s south gable end is a small, one-story peak-roofed kitchen wing (16’ x 16’). Architecturally, the house is a center chimney type with Federal and Greek Revival characteristics. There are three fireplaces in the main house and a cooking fireplace and bake oven in the kitchen. A Colonial road passes by just east of the house.
The farmhouse has been placed on the State Register of Historic Places. It is a rectangular (35’ x 25’), two-story timber-framed building oriented with a five-bay façade to the west and its gable ends to the north and south. At the building’s south gable end is a small, one-story peak-roofed kitchen wing (16’ x 16’). Architecturally, the house is a center chimney type with Federal and Greek Revival characteristics. There are three fireplaces in the main house and a cooking fireplace and bake oven in the kitchen. A Colonial road passes by just east of the house.
The house was built in 1847 and occupied by Horace and Eunice Parmelee. Horace L. Parmelee was born June 28, 1819, the son of Moses and Ruth Parmelee. Eunice Maria Parmelee was born on August 2, 1822, the daughter of Rufus and Eunice Parmelee. They were married on June 11, 1843, by the Rev. E. Swift at the Congregational Church.
The Parmelees were a numerous and prominent family in the area. They are descended from John Parmelee (1583-1659) who came from England in 1639 and settled in Guilford with the Rev Henry Whitfield. John’s grandson Nathaniel (1645-1676) was one of the first settlers in Killingworth and married Sarah French in 1668. He died of wounds received in King Philip’s War. Horace was an eighth generation descendant of John. Eunice was also a descendant of John. Horace and Eunice are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery.
The Parmelees were a numerous and prominent family in the area. They are descended from John Parmelee (1583-1659) who came from England in 1639 and settled in Guilford with the Rev Henry Whitfield. John’s grandson Nathaniel (1645-1676) was one of the first settlers in Killingworth and married Sarah French in 1668. He died of wounds received in King Philip’s War. Horace was an eighth generation descendant of John. Eunice was also a descendant of John. Horace and Eunice are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery.
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Horace and Eunice farmed the land in the second half of the nineteenth century. An Agricultural Census in 1850 showed the farm was 110 acres in size. Based on this survey, the Parmelee farm was one of the most prosperous in Killingworth. The cash value of the farm was $3000, one of the highest amounts in Killingworth. Farming implements and machinery were valued at $75. Livestock were one horse, four working oxen, four other cattle, ten sheep, and three swine, all valued at $325. Crops grown were rye, Indian corn, oats, peas, beans, and Irish potatoes. They also had 400 pounds of butter and 100 pounds of cheese, products that they probably sold for additional income.
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In 1904, the farm was sold to an agent in New York who in turn sold it to John Pavelka in 1906. The Pavelkas farmed the property and operated a dairy farm until 1948. Between 1948 and 1956, Edward and Martha McGrath operated a small summer resort known as the “Farm in the Dell.” The McGraths also rented rooms in a converted carriage house (no longer standing) to workers employed in the construction of the Connecticut Turnpike. In 1956, the property passed on to the Bosco family. In this final period of the site’s agricultural history, the farm operated as Bosco’s Turkey Farm, managed by Maria and Anthony Bosco, their son Anthony Bosco Jr., and daughter-in law Betty Bosco. At its peak of operation, Bosco’s Turkey Farm produced 7,500 free-range turkeys and 6,000 capons annually. The Boscos rebuilt the deteriorating stone barn and converted it into a poultry processing facility. They also built the pole barn, which was used for raising capons. The farm operation lasted until about 1980, and the property remained in the Bosco family until 2000, when it was sold to the Town of Killingworth. A large red English barn stood behind the house but had deteriorated and was removed for safety reasons in 2010.
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Ladies of the Farm: Mrs. Parmelee in front of the house, 1899 (left). Maria Bosco by the old barn in 1961 (above).
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