Farm & Homestead
A behind-the-scenes look at restoring and living on a 19th-century farmstead. From stone walkways and bank barns to orchard care and homestead traditions, this category preserves the past through everyday life on the land.
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Machine Sheds in the Late 1800’s
When people picture an old barn, they usually think of large structures with red siding built against a hillside, haylofts, and livestock stalls. Yet one of the most useful spaces on a working…
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When Butter Tastes Like Onions
How a Cow’s Diet Affects Butter Flavor My uncles enjoyed working on their grandparents’ farm during the summers. Chiefly because nothing thrilled them more than dinnertime. One of them used to tell the…
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From German Settlement Roots to Award-Winning Wines at Hiddencroft Vineyards
Tucked away among the rolling farmland of Loudoun County lies a property steeped in history, nourished by tradition, and brimming with rustic charm. This land has been witness to over 150 years of…
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Rebuilding the Barn at the Compher Farm after the Tornado of 1929
In the spring of 1929, a devastating tornado struck the John W. Compher farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, demolishing the barn and leaving the family with nothing but rubble and resolve. What followed…
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Summer Kitchen 101
In 1840s Virginia, the summer kitchen was more than a separate cooking space—it was the heartbeat of the farm. Tucked beside garden rows and shaded by walnut trees, this brick outbuilding held the…
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Reclaiming the Stone Walkway at our Farmhouse
The Walkway In spring 2014, while installing a barrel-shaped stone patio near the tasting house, we noticed large, buried stones in the lawn. Old photos suggested there had once been a walkway connecting…
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Springhouse Revival: From Butter Theft to Barrel Tables
This springhouse was once a vital part of the Compher farm. Its ground floor provided clean water and natural refrigeration for milk, cheese, butter, and eggs. The upper floor was used for butter…
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How Many Cows does it take to make a Pound of Butter?
At first glance, the question of how many cows it takes to make a pound of butter sounds simple. Yet behind that creamy yellow pat lies a surprisingly complex journey. It begins in…
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Repairing the Meat Curing House
A Hands-On Restoration of Historic Log Structure in Virginia I have no formal background in restoring antique log buildings. But after watching every episode of the TV show Barnwood Builders—where a crew of…
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Life on a Northern Virginia farm, 1918
A nostalgic and vivid journey into 1918 farm life in Northern Virginia, where barns, butter, and barter defined the rhythms of rural survival.
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Machine Shed Restoration
Page number 116 of the Charles Elbert Compher farm ledger dated 1938 contains a rudimentary plan for the construction of a machine shed. This shed would be attached to the barn that was…
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Tale of Butter Theft in Loudoun County, VA
Evidence Found in the Farm Ledger The Summer of 1876 found Loudoun County farmers deep in the rhythms of hayfields, dairy chores, and centennial celebrations—trying to make the most of a post-war economy…
