The Property

The barns

Situated 100 feet from the main house, a 24x36ft barn dating back to the 1880s. The original hand sewn chestnut beams are still intact. Around the side is a cellar level.

Adjacent to that barn is an old stone foundation chicken coop. It was converted to a guest cottage in the 1940s and is now just waiting for some love. Our plan was always to convert it into a cottage and retreat for summer nights.

The land

Ferndale used to be a self-sustaining farm and apple orchard. There are still 7 mature apple trees on the property that bear fruit. There are also sugar maples that produce great maple syrup.

There is also a 3-season flower garden along the side of the house, and wild mint and raspberries that grow all over.

The two fields to the east and south of the main yard provide great sunset strolls and animal watching—a family of deer frequent the fields and often come up to the house when the apples are dropping in the fall, as well as pheasants, bunnies, fox and occasionally the resident black bear makes an appearance.

The 18 acres of woods at Ferndale have a lot to explore. Stone walls flank the property and old field lines. Two streams run through the eastern side of the property, and at the top there is a beautiful waterfall when the stream is running high in the spring. We were told this was once damed into a swimming hole. Along the perimeter of the property are trails used for four-wheeling, hiking and hunting.