Historical society offers tour of farm

Vernon Twp. — The Vernon Township Historical Society will sponsor a tour of High Breeze Farm on Barrett Road from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15. High Breeze Farm, the home of the Barrett family for generations, is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. The farm consists of several buildings on a 170-acre site. Among the buildings are a blacksmith shop, a corn crib and wagon shed, a summer kitchen, a wagon shed, two chicken coops, a shed and round metal corncrib, and outhouses. There are also two red barns. The 1860 house has been maintained in its original state. It has no plumbing, and a single light bulb and minimal wiring in the kitchen was installed in 1945. The farmland and buildings are part of the Wawayanda State Park under the Division of Parks and Forestry. The superintendent of the park and park staff members will be on hand that day to answer questions. The Vernon Township Historical Society’s Friends of Wawayanda State Park have initiated a preservation effort to turn High Breeze farm into a living history farm. It will be the only living history farm in Sussex County, and the only one owned by the State of New Jersey. The friends have also started a donor register list for persons donating $100 or more for the restoration of High Breeze Farm. The suggested donation for the tour is $5 per person. Checks should be made out to the Vernon Township Historical Society. For more information, call 973-764-8989.