Allyn's Red Barn
History
Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm.
The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902.
The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing.
Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests.
After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time.
As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced.
The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again!
Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors.
AARP Events for Ledyard
AARP Events for Ledyard
-
Featured Event
AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Hartford, CT
-
Featured Event
AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Hartford, CT
-
Featured Event
AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Hartford, CT
Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal
- Immediate access to your member benefits
- Discounts on travel and everyday savings
- Subscription to AARP The Magazine
- FREE second membership
Join AARP
Already a member? Renew or
Print Card
Contact AARP
Connecticut
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?><?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ledyard, CT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?><?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ledyard, CT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ledyard, CT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ledyard, CT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ledyard, CT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Allyn's Red Barn</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>610 Colonel Ledyard Highway</div> <div> <span>Ledyard</span>, <span>CT</span> <span>06339</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.allynsredbarn.com/" target="_blank">Visit Website</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 860-464-7245</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Allyn%27s+Red+Barn%2C+610+Colonel+Ledyard+Highway%2C+Ledyard%2C+CT+06339" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History</p> <p> Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230 years, being owned by four generations of the Billings family until my great-great grandmother, Margaret Allyn Billings, transferred it to my grandfather William I. Allyn after he married my grandmother - Mrs. Billings' granddaughter. Most of the former owners are buried in the cemetery adjoining the farm. </p> <p> The land has remained mostly unchanged but the house was remodeled in the 1800's and again in early 1900 with only one room left of the original building. A room added in the early 1900's provided office space for the Town Clerk, Selectmen and other officials and housed all the town records for some 30 years. My grandfather served as both Town Clerk and Treasurer from 1899 to his death in 1949. The oak tree in front of the house is Ledyard's Constitutional Oak, given to my grandfather as a seedling at the Constitutional Convention of 1902. </p> <p> The farm consists of approximately 200 acres on both sides of the highway, about 16 acres in orchards, and the rest is made up of hay fields, pasture and woods. The road which passes the house (formerly referred to as Quakertown Road) was the main highway from Groton to Norwich now known as Colonel Ledyard Highway. Prior to 1900, sheep, cattle and horses were kept; potatoes, turnips and other produce were grown primarily for the family's use as the main vocations were carpentry, teaching, bookselling or fishing. </p> <p> Upon purchasing the farm, my grandfather started orchards of peaches and apples. After they began to produce fruit, peaches were picked during the day, graded afternoons and evenings, loaded on wagons and transported by horses to the New London produce market to be wholesaled in the early morning. Peach trees, being short-lived, were eventually replaced by apples. Although many varieties were grown, the predominant ones were McIntosh and Baldwins on standard root stocks, full size trees. Some of these trees still remain though many have fallen victim to hurricanes, ice storms, harsh winters or mice, which eat the bark from the trunks or roots killing the trees. Our orchards still contain over 20 varieties of apples. In addition to the fruit, a dairy herd was built up and with it a retail milk route in Mystic and the adjoining area - about 500 quarts daily. Unable to produce all the milk needed, extra milk was purchased from nearby farms and processed here as raw milk. Several persons were employed to handle various chores. Taking house guests and serving dinners came to be part of the operations. The bungalow in the orchard used to be a cottage for summer guests. </p> <p> After the passing of both parents, my father made the decision to dispose of the herd and concentrate on fruit. His aim was to update the machinery used and remove rocks and obstructions in the orchards to better utilize the machines and labor. Special sprayers were used to eliminate poison ivy, a problem for pickers. Tree size and varieties are always to be considered as are spray materials to control the various insects and diseases. Spraying equipment has changed drastically through the years. We still have the spray pump used 80 years ago mounted in a 50 gallon wooden barrel and carried in a one horse wagon. One man operated the hand pump and drove the horse, the other walked around each tree carrying a bamboo pole spray gun to which was attached a long hose. Today we use a 100 gallon capacity sprayer powered by a large tractor, enabling one person to spray two rows at a time. </p> <p> As a commercial orchard ours is a very small operation. Farm businesses today must either be large to utilize several persons or small enough to employ little labor. I prefer the later. Ours is primarily a one person operation, although during harvest time we have a few part time employees. Most of our pick-your-own takes place in the orchard behind the farm house. It included such varieties as Red & Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Ida Red, Macoun, Cortland and Spartan. Many of these trees were planted following the 1938 hurricane which uprooted some 175 trees and left the ground covered in immature apples. You can see where some trees have been removed after being damaged by mice or storms. Many of the trees in our orchard are semi-dwarf trees as opposed to full size root stock. The variation in size is due largely to damage from a grass fire about 40 years ago. A few trees were untouched, some were damaged and many were killed. Some roots survived and have since been grafted, still others replaced. </p> <p> The many outbuildings on the land have served various purposes over the years. The "Red Barn" was originally the horse barn and carriage shed but was remodeled, insulated and refrigerated. A work room and sales room were added in 1965. Our storage operates seasonally at temperatures just above freezing and keeps our apples fresh and crisp. The white barn behind the store on the left is the cow barn. Although we haven't been a milk farm for many years, I still keep about a dozen cows on the land. They move up to the pasture by the high school for the winter months. The building that is painted yellow to match the house is our cider mill. The shed after the cider mill used to be an ice house and later a school bus was stored there. Beyond the ice house is the equipment barn, where if you peek in the windows, you can see a 1940 Oldsmobile and other old tractors and equipment. If you look closely along the left side, you can see a 1947 Chevy platform truck mostly hidden by a tree that has grown through the bed. Thank you for visiting our orchards! Please come again! </p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/ledyard-ct/report/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ledyard</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-ct-day-the-wadsworth-atheneum-museum-of-art-hartford-ct-112124-z4njtdpbx3n.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-AARP-CT-DAY-THE-WADSWORTH-ATHENEUM-MUSEUM-OF-ART">AARP CT Day @ The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, CT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-LEDYARD-CT">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Connecticut Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Connecticut</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:CTAARP@aarp.org " target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTAARP@aarp.org </a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Connecticut</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-connecticut/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-LEDYARD-CT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp_connecticut/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Allyn's Red Barn - Ledyard, CT"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230" name="description"/> <meta content="Allyn, s, Red, Barn, Ledyard, CT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/allyns-red-barn-ledyard-ct.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Allyn's Red Barn"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History Welcome to our farm and orchards. We hope your visit will be both enjoyable and informative. This farm has been in my family for over 230"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.43557"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-71.997375"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ledyard, CT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ledyard-ct/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ledyard-ct/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118