Introduction

Phillips Family
(1737-1860)

Miller Family
(1860-c1901)

A.B. Coleman
(c1901-1909)

Leming Family
(1909-c1919)

Cromwell Family
(1920-1948)

Suydam Family
(1948-1962)

Howell Family
(1962-1974)

Mercer County
(1974-present)

Between 1896 and 1913 the farm went through several changes in ownership and tenant farming. Tenant farming often results in deterioration of farm structures and exhausting of the soil. While some tenants may hope to one day purchase the farm and treat it accordingly, most merely take what they can get from the farm and put little back, wearing out the land and allowing the buildings to deteriorate. However, it was during this time period that the cupola may have been added to the horse barn and the track for handling hay was put into the roof peak of the horse barn. The large hay-handling door was cut into the peak on the south end of the horse barn sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The diagram above shows the Henry Phillips Barn as it appeared during the period interpreted by Howell Living History Farm.

The first tenant appears to be Charles Miller himself although he may have continued to own some or all of the land. He continued to live on the farm until his death in 1898. After the death of Charles his son, Benjamin, was apparently the tenant or owner. Benjamin had a number of problems, including landing in jail for forgery, and the farm deteriorated. In 1901, local brush maker Amos Williamson and his wife, Rachel, moved to the farm to take care of Benjamin and essentially be caretakers of the property. About this time the farm was purchased as an investment by Titusville blacksmith, A.B. Coleman.

In 1902 the tenant of Coleman was Alfred Rogers. In 1903 Rogers sold his farm equipment and moved his family west. However, they returned in about three months and may have resumed residence on the farm. In 1905 J. Hart Smith who had been living just above Harbourton became the tenant and worked the farm until 1908 when he left to be the supervising farmer at the county poor farm. Edwin Blackwell from Washington 's Crossing then came to the farm as tenant and was followed by Wilson T. Leming in 1909.

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