The Elm Hill Farm was built in the 1700s, and at its peak it was one of the largest working farms in the region with 1,300 acres, eight houses, apple orchards, horse stables and a purebred cattle operation. One of its cows was “Elsie the Cow,” the face of the Borden Company and one of the most recognizable product symbols in America in the middle of the 20th century.

Mrs. Louise Means

The farm was property of the family of the late Blanchard Means, whose wife Louise, passed away in 2009. Following the 1973 death of her husband, Mrs. Means became concerned about the future of the family farm, and envisioned it as a preservation place where the public and developmentally disabled individuals, like her daughter, would enjoy its natural beauty. Her daughter, Louise, still lives at Elm Hill, as do several other adults living with developmental disabilities.