1860s Living History Farm
The 1860s living history farm, found on the south side of the Littleton Museum's 40 acres, represents a pioneer homestead during Littleton's settlement period - a time before train travel, when oxen-drawn wagons were a main mode of long-distance transport.
Structures
1865 Schoolhouse
Original Historic Structure - Relocated to Museum for preservation
This schoolhouse, the first in Littleton, represented some of the first steps taken by the citizens of this area to establish a formal township. It was constructed by John Bell in 1865 for $65 on the property of Harry Pickard. Lewis B. Ames was the first teacher in this schoolhouse and earned $40 a month in this position.
The schoolhouse was moved from its original location to Rio Grande Park (now Bega Park) in the late 1940s, and then to the Littleton Museum on July 5, 1972.
Beers Sisters Icehouse
Original Historic Structure - Relocated to Museum for preservation
The Beers Sisters were local women who were highly respected and successful in farming and operating a dairy business in what was, at the turn of the century, a man’s world. They ran a prosperous dairy farm and retail business through the early 1950s. The building you see here is their icehouse, which would have been filled with 200-lb blocks of ice cut from a frozen lake and used to cool their dairy products. The icehouse was originally located on the shore of Bowles Reservoir #1 (by the southwest corner of Marston Lake). It was constructed in 1900. The sisters used it for their dairy business from 1909 until 1926, when they invested in an ice machine. The building was then used as a granary. The sisters sold their business in 1951. The icehouse was moved to the Littleton Museum for preservation in 1981.
1860s Cabin
Original Historic Structure - Relocated to Museum for preservation
The cabin you will see here belonged to one of the two McBroom brothers, John and Isaac, who claimed land in Colorado's South Platte River Valley, near Bear Creek. John moved west first and saw the Platte River Valley on a military expedition with Capt. R.B. Marcy. He later settled the area for the purpose of farming and sold produce to miners. His brother Isaac later joined him to farm the area as well. Their cabins were typical of what you might see in the early days of Colorado settlement.
Sheep Shed
Original Historic Structure - Relocated to Museum for preservation
The sheep-shed is also an original structure from Colorado’s earliest days of American immigration in the 1860s. Little is known about this structure, but that it was owned by a shepherd who lived in the small space during his first winter in Colorado and converted it into a sheep barn the next year when he had built a more comfortable home for himself. Our use of this cabin is accurate to how it would have been used historically.
Barn
Modern recreation
A reconstructed log barn erected in 1983 to represent a typical log barn similar to those built along the South Platte River Valley
Root Cellar
Modern recreation
Livestock
For our animal-loving visitors we have plenty of livestock out on the farms. Each animal has been selected because we have found evidence of their breed in 19th century records from this area. Our livestock includes pigs, cows, sheep, oxen, turkeys, and chickens. The animals live here all year round and are tended by experts.
Our sheep’s wool is shorn in the spring at the annual Sheep to Shawl event, and the oxen are brought out to pull wagons or a plow depending on field conditions. Visitors can experience the authentic sights, sounds, and smells that characterized Littleton’s past.
The livestock on our farms will bite, peck or even step on you.
Please keep your distance.
Help keep the livestock safe by NEVER feeding or petting them.
