FALL FEST! OCT. 22
Join us on Saturday, OCT 22, from 10-3 at the ALLEBACH-CHOLET MUSEUM FARM for Live Demonstration! Fun, Food, FREE! (Off Rt 113 onto Creamery Rd that goes behind Creamery Tire)
Welcome
The Cholet Farm
The Historical Society now has a license agreement with Skippack Township to use, maintain, and restore the Allebach-Cholet house and barn. Township Supervisors were very supportive and instrumental in pulling this agreement together to help preserve this farm.
The Cholet Farm
Additional Information
The main objective of creating the Historic Farm Park is to preserve a rural farm setting for the educational, cultural, and recreational enrichment of the residents of our community.
The property is owned by Skippack Township and under the this agreement the Skippack Historical Society will be responsible for maintaining and restoring the house and barn.
The property contains two structures that date back to the late 1800s. These two structures were the heart of this Victorian farmstead that was farmed by at least four local families including Alderfer, Allebach, Kratz, and Cholet during the 19th and 20th centuries. The house appears to have been constructed sometime after the Civil War. The barn is of a type known as a Pennsylvania-German bank barn, one of the primary barn types found in the U.S. before 1880.
Mission statements – Our long term vision is that the farm will be an educational facility open to the public focusing on farming and life during the 1800's and 1900's.
The Cholet house was built circa 1879 and has a "plain Victorian" style to it. The house is in the shape of a "T" with a summer kitchen and brick bake oven in the rear. The summer kitchen was built earlier than the house, probably from a previous building that could have burnt down or been taken down for structural problems in the mid 1800's. This house was built using "river rock" and has stucco over top. In the basement, you can see the original stone used to construct the home. Also in the basement you can see the hand-hewn joists across the ceiling. In the attic, you can still see the original roof; it is wooden shingled and being held on by wooden pegs, typically used in the 19th century instead of expensive nails.
(More information is being added as we build our website. Please stop back again.)
Cholet Barn Project
Additional Information
Also located on the property, just to the left of the house and closest to Creamery Road, is an original German Style Bank Barn. The barn, along with the summer kitchen, was probably built in the early 1800's, or possibly the late 1700's. The bank barn received it's name because a bank was built on the northern side of the barn so people could pull the hay right into the second story of the barn. The south side of the barn opens into the field and was easy access for livestock to come in and out. Why was the bank on the north side? The bank is usually on the north side to block the northern winds and keep the animals warm.
The house and barn sit on the property of Johannes Scholl, an original settler to the Skippack Valley in 1708. The original house on the property could have been that of Mr. Scholl, but it is not believed the barn and summer kitchen were his.
Learn More
Watch for our Open House under Events when you can tour the Barn, pet the critters, have a snack, and see the restoration progress and all the historic tools and fascinating items!
SKIPPACK FARM MUSEUM
FALL FESTIVAL!
Tractor Displays! Hayrides! Petting Zoo! Barn Tours! ! A good time was had by all at Skippack Museum Farm Fall Festival! See you in the Spring! 2022!(Creamery Rd just off Rte 113 behind Creamery Tire)