History of Fair Lawn Farm
Built in 1887, this historic farm has a deep-rooted history in its home of Highland County, Virginia, which is located within an hour of Bath County, Virginia, and Staunton, Virginia. The farm’s current owners, Tim and Terry Duff, possess a passionate love for the property. Over the last two decades, the Duffs have faithfully restored the farm, including the extraordinary farmhouse, to honor its past while preserving its future, creating an ideal location for a family trip and travel destination.
Fair Lawn Farm, which is also a unique stop during the Highland County Maple Festival, focuses on the late-eighteenth to early-twentieth century era. The Duffs collect, restore, and reuse antique tools and equipment your great-grandparents would have used in the days of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. You can even see these tools in action during Fair Lawn Farm’s 18th Century Trades Fair every year on the first weekend in September.
To further honor the farm’s history, Tim and Terry have portraits of the previous owners hanging in their restored parlor.
18th-Century Gunsmithing Cabin
We moved this historic cabin from Union, West Virginia in Monroe County, by way of Bath County, Virginia, to its new home next to our pond at Fair Lawn Farm. Originally a slave cabin from 1830, it now stands as an 18th century-era workshop.
The logs are a mixture of Poplar, Oak, Chestnut, and Pine, and the exposed rafters are from an original mid-eighteenth-century cabin from the Shenandoah Valley. The gable end siding and roofing material are Hemlock, a material that is naturally bug-resistant and handles weather well. The raised hearth is designed for warmth more than forging and, along with the cast iron fireback, works very well. The chimney is traditional wattle and daub, and the addition of a clay flue liner makes it safe from chimney fires.
Visit this historic farm to learn more about this piece of history!
Interested in creating eighteenth-century flintlock rifles, powderhorns, or hand-carved decoys? Sign-up for one of our classes!