Museum Profile
The Dudley Farm Museum
The Dudley Farm was built by Erastus Dudley (1781-1872) on land originally parceled out to the first settlers of Guilford. North Guilford, previously known as “Cohabit”, saw the North Guilford Congregational Church and the first homes built in the 1720’s, the result of farmers becoming tired of traveling to North Guilford to farm, and then to Guilford to make sure they got to church.
David Dudley was the last of his family to live here and farm this land. After his passing in 1991, the North Guilford Volunteer Fire Company, in cooperation with the North Guilford Congregational Church and the Town of Guilford Probate Court, obtained the Farm property. Lamenting the disappearance of farm life in the face of the rapid development of the late 20th century, the Volunteer Fire Company decided to establish a farm museum to preserve the region's agricultural heritage. Thus was born the Dudley Foundation, a nonprofit, member supported organization that maintains, through the work of volunteers, the Dudley Farm as a late 19th century farm museum. The restored farm house, barns and grounds allow visitors to experience life as it once was.
"To preserve, restore, and operate the farm as a historical, educational, and recreational resource to serve the general public as a museum, education center, and recreation park."
