Applecrest Farm Orchards

Applecrest Farm Orchards (also known as Applecrest Orchards or simply Applecrest) is a year-round apple orchard in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. It is considered the oldest and largest apple orchard in the state of New Hampshire [http://www.visitingnewengland.com/apples.html Apple orchards, apple picking - New Hampshire ] ] and the oldest continuously operated apple orchard in the United States. [http://www.hamptonfalls.org Town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire ] ]

History

The property Applecrest Orchards currently stands on was first settled in 1665 by James Prescott, an Englishman that had arrived in North America the same year. He married the daughter of Nathaniel Boulter of the neighboring town, Hampton. For thirty years, he dwelled in the garrison house now known as Prescott's Fort. In 1724, he moved to Kingston, New Hampshire, and lived there until his death, four years later. His grandson, Ebenezer Prescott inherited the large parcel of land.cite book|last=Winn|first=Elaine B.|year=1997|title=Historic Homes of Hampton Falls|publisher=Hampton Falls Historical Society|location=Hampton Falls, New Hampshire]

Aaron Wells of Ipswich, Massachusetts, purchased the land from Ebenezer's descendents in 1774. His sole child, Eunice, married Newell Healey of the neighboring town, Kensington. Their son, Wells, inherited the farm after his maternal grandfather's death in 1819.

Wells married Elizabeth Pickering of nearby town, North Hampton. Wells died in 1857, and one of his sons, Newell H., became the owner of the large farm.

In 1913, Walter Baldwin Farmer with his wife, Gertrude (née Jones), and their two daughters, came from Brookline, Massachusetts, and bought the farm. He set his mind on making the farm into a prosperous business. He purchased more land in surrounding areas, dredged brooks, dynamited boulders, and studied the latest methods on tree maintenance. Also, it was then, when the first apple tree was planted, that Applecrest Farm Orchards was established. Farmer spent the first ten years of his ownership of the orchard waiting for the several thousand apple trees he planted to fully mature. While waiting, he paid his bills by raising chickens. Nearly 200 hundred chicken houses dotted the hilly landscape. A small amount of those chicken coops still stand, but are no longer in use.Fact|date=February 2007

Applecrest Orchards is considered the oldest and largest apple orchard in the whole state of New Hampshire [http://www.visitingnewengland.com/apples.html Apple orchards, apple picking - New Hampshire ] ] and the oldest continuously operated apple orchard in the United States. [http://www.hamptonfalls.org Town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire ] ] But many of the buildings on the grounds were built before the establishment of the business, including the Farm Market, built in 1812 [http://www.applecrest.com Applecrest Farm Orchards ] ] , and the home of the Wagners, built in 1815 by Wells Healey.

After Farmer's death, the lot was briefly sold to Major Platts. But shortly after in 1954, the orchard was bought by [http://www.seacoastonline.com/2000news/2_13a.htm Local: Applecrest changes with the times ] ] William L. and Jean Wagner of New York. Although they knew next to nothing about apple tree maintenance, they decided to continue the business. It has been operated by the Wagner family ever since. When Bill died in 1984, the farm was run by Jean, the new president of the business. In 1985, convert|500|acre|km2 of land was owned by Applecrest. But from that year forward, land was being sold instead of purchased; 44 acres of that land was sold that year and divided into 18 house lots. In the late 1980s, another 33 acre parcel off Sanborn Road was subdivided and 12 lots were created. Additional sections of land, mostly along the main roads in Hampton Falls, have been sold off as well. Ten acres became four house lots in the early 1990s, a 12 lot subdivision called Coburn Woods was developed, and in around 2000, six acres off of Route 88 (Exeter Road) became a three lot subdivision, conforming in every instance to the town's two-acre per house zoning ordinance.

As of 2005, the owners of the farm are Ben and Peter Wagner, [http://www.applejournal.com/nh01.htm Apple Journal- New Hampshire Orchards ] ] the sons of Jean and Bill. In addition to the orchard, two markets were run by the Wagners on U.S. Route 1, Hampton Falls and Junction 110 and Junction 150 in Amesbury, Massachusetts. The former market was known as the Applemart. [http://www.seacoastonline.com/2003news/hampton/06082003/news/33063.htm Hampton Union Local News: Sisters built their lives at Applecrest Farm ] ] In 2004, both of the markets were shut down.Fact|date=February 2007In 2006, Peter Wagner purchased the farm and became the proprietary owner of Applecrest.

Produce

Currently, the orchard grows approximately 40,000 bushels of more than 40 different varieties of apples, including McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Ida Red, and Red Delicious. Other available foods include various vegetables, sweetcorn, and peaches.

References

External links

* [http://www.applecrest.com Official home site]