Heritage Farm's Visitor Center is a good place to begin an exploration of the farm. This renovated and recently expanded original structure features visitor information, a well-stocked museum store, exhibits, restrooms, and staff offices. Originally built as a retirement home in 1904 for Herman and Engel Boeger, who farmed this land in the 1880s, the original home had a spring in the basement which supplied fresh water!Recent renovations have added classrooms, a large teaching kitchen, and a covered deck with views of the livestock pastures. The building also now features geothermal heating and cooling as well as solar panels to help with energy conservation.
1850 Farmhouse
The farmhouse is a traditional Greek Revival-style farmhouse. Inside, it is laid out in a traditional German style where side rooms are arranged around a central kitchen. The two wings of the house were originally separate homes and were joined together later. The oldest part of the house is supported on a hand-hewn oak sill, indicating its age. The farmhouse was the center of family activity, with the woodstove in near constant use to prepare meals for the hardworking farmers. Several family members lived in this modest house, with one wing being reserved for the retired grandparents. During the late 19th century, wood was the fuel used to cook and heat the home, kerosene lamps provided light, and water came from a hand pump.
Barn
Barns were designed to house livestock and harvested crops used to feed the animals. This building is a 3-bay banked barn, with access to the upper level bays by way of a banked ramp. The downstairs includes stalls for draft horses and dairy cattle. Included here are the stanchions used when milking the cows. The larger upstairs was used to store hay, straw and grain. This original 1870s barn was moved here from the nearby Hattendorf-Hogan Farm and was reassembled as part of a community barn raising in 1993.
Chicken Coop
Poultry were often housed close to the farmhouse. The eggs produced by the birds (and the birds themselves) provided food for the family and extra eggs were sold for income. Heritage Farm displays historic breeds of poultry common in the late 19th century.
Geschirremacher-Harness Shop
Small buildings located near to the farmhouse could have numerous purposes on the farm. It could be used as a place to do laundry, a summer kitchen or even a place to house a second business for a family member. The latter concept is the one we are currently interpreting. Geschirremacher is German for harness maker. A local harness maker would have been valued, repairing the leather items needed on all farms to work the horses.
Toolhouse
The tool house provided the farm with a central location for housing and maintaining the valuable equipment needed to raise crops. This reconstructed building houses wagons and other farm machinery as well as a small blacksmith and woodworking shop.
Hog Shed
Pork was an important staple of the German-American diet. The hog shed was usually sited well away from and downwind of the farmhouse due to the odor. Pigs were fed a combination of grain and vegetable waste from the kitchen and garden.
