History of East Hill Farm: The 1990s

What a journey the past 74 years have been!  From the early days of housing only 30 guests, to our current capacity of 140, we have been fortunate to meet and make many lifelong friends that call East Hill Farm their home away from home.  You are truly our extended Farm family!

The Inn at East Hill Farm will be celebrating our 75^th Anniversary during the weekend of February 4-6, 2022.  As with all celebrations, it is more fun to have your friends and loved ones to celebrate with.  Please mark your calendars and consider joining us for this momentous occasion!

We will be sharing photos, behind the scenes, and fun stories in a series of monthly blog, Instagram, and Facebook posts leading up to the celebration.  While the Inn’s history dates to 1772, we are focusing on what it has been since right after WWII, an agritourism destination.

The 1990s was another decade of building expansion at the Inn.

In 1993, the staff dorm, and 5 single guest rooms, “The Twenties” was torn down. This multi-purpose building was located behind the kitchen and was known as Barnside. Construction soon began on the Sugar House. The Sugar House has five bedrooms, each with their own private bathroom, and one living room with a fireplace. Screened in porches on both sides of the building allow for views of the farm animals. This unit accommodates at least 2 families, sometimes more.

In 1995 land was cleared near the start of the trail leading to the pond to begin building the English Cottage. The English Cottage was a completely new guest accommodation, not replacing any existing building. The English Cottage was also able to house an additional 2 families or more. There are two separate units, each has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a living room with a fireplace. Each unit has a wraparound screened in porch affording breathtaking views of Mt. Monadnock and Perkins Pond. In the summer months, you can even spot a pig or two in the pasture near English Cottage.

In 1997, original Cottages 3, 4, 5, and 6 were torn down and the Village Bunkhouse was constructed. The original cottages were two-bedroom units with a single bathroom and small sitting room in each cottage. The Village Bunkhouse units were built with a similar setup in mind with a few added perks. The two downstairs units each have two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a living room with a fireplace. The two upstairs units have two bedrooms and one bathroom. There is a shared deck which faces the main lawn. In the basement of The Village Bunkhouse there is a guest laundry and two massage rooms.

In 1997, the barnyard saw the addition of the sheep shed which was necessary as the herd was growing. The chicken coop got an expansion as more chickens were needed to meet the demand for eggs.

At this time, there was also an addition to the dining room. This bump out space was used to seat the increasing number of guests at the Inn. Guests have many names for this treasured space, but we refer to it as “The small dining room”. With its cozy fireplace, exposed beams and views of the barnyard, the small dining room is a favorite space for smaller group events or large family gatherings.

A new East Hill Farm tradition began in the late 1990s. When guests checked in, the kids received baskets to collect chicken eggs. (They had previously been given a cowboy hat at check in.)

When children collected eggs, they would write their names on the egg and store them on big egg flats in the guest refrigerator, which was located in the kitchen near the dish room. At breakfast time kids could retrieve their own special eggs and give them to the dining room server for the cook to prepare.

The egg collecting tradition has continued at the Farm, only now, children are given egg cartons to put their eggs in. The cooks still happily cook the eggs any way you want them so you can enjoy the freshest eggs possible. Over the years, many an egg has met their untimely demise hitting the floor or the ground before making it to the kitchen. Luckily, we have lots of chickens laying eggs throughout the day.

Adam, one of our beloved ponies was born on the Farm in in the mid 90s. Here is a picture of him and his mom, Misty. Over the years, Adam has provided lessons to thousands of first time and beginner riders. How many of you learned to ride with Adam?

Enjoy a few candid shots from around the farm during the 1990s.

What’s your favorite memory of East Hill Farm from the 1990s?

If you missed reading about the 1980s, you can catch up with that blog here.

Blog submitted by Holly.