Walker Family Farm

Date: 1803 [unknown]
Location: Shrewsbury, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Surname/tag: Walker

The following account comes from the memoirs of Helen Harriet (Whitney) Clark (1910-1999) This recollection would have been memories from the early nineteen hundreds when she lived in the "Little House" across the street and her many visits to her grandparents who occupied the Walker Farm until their passing.

Inhabited by:

1. Lowell Walker (1807-1896) & Harriet (Bartlett) Walker (1810-1896)
2. Everett Lowell Walker (1842-1919) & Ellen Arbella (Perry) Walker (1845-1938), and Herbert Lowell Walker (1883-1948)

The Walker family farm could be found in the small town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts on Boylston Street about a mile from the center of town. If you started your journey in the center of Shrewsbury just off Main Street, north on Boylston Street to the right-hand corner was the library and the high school. To the left was a small common and the beautiful large white Congregational Church. Behind the church was the Shrewsbury cemetery and down a long, steep hill was the Cassy, a small brook that meandered through the fields and woods. Then there was a shorter hill at the top to the left was the eighty-one-acre Walker Farm built in 1803.

The ten-room house set back from the road with large front and side lawns guarded by several tall elm trees. The front door faced the driveway. Just inside was a hallway with a hat tree, mirror & umbrella stand and a stairway to the second floor. Going up several steps was a landing then to the left three more steps, another landing, to the left again three more steps and finally the hallway. Along the hall to the left was a lovely guest chamber to the right of the stairs was another bedroom. Now, going back to the second landing to the right, up three steps was a large hallway that led to a small bedroom on the left and to an even smaller room on the right. From there was a narrow hall that led to the back stairway and along farther was a very small servant's room.

Back to the first floor, to the right of the stairs was the parlor furnished with a sofa, a lady's chair and gentleman's chair made of horsehair, also there was a beautiful standing what-not, and two small tables, a stand, and an ottoman. Beyond the parlor was the dining room and across it a hallway which led to a door opening to the front porch. Along farther was a stairway down into a very large cellar. The floor of the cellar was earthen. The temperature was always very cool both summer and winter. There we kept barrels of apples, potatoes, and vegetables. On the shelves were many jars of home canned fruits, vegetables, and pickles.

Now back to the front hall against the left of the front door was the living room. In there was a couch, a drop leaf table, the secretary desk, a marble top table, a sewing machine, a wood burning heater and in the center of the room was a round table. Then there were two caned rocking chairs and several straight chairs.

Through the living room was the entrance to the kitchen. To the left was a table and then a very large granite stone sink with running water. And to the right was the black iron wood stove and a wood box. Next was the door to the dining room and across the kitchen was the door to the bathroom which had a white porcelain tub, a washstand, a flush toilet and a copper hot water tank.

Along the kitchen was the pantry where we kept the barrel of flour, a large container of sugar, many shelves of dishes and pots and pans, and the counter with a bread board. The next door led to a narrow hall out to the woodshed and the next door went outside.

Down two large stone steps and to the right along a walk was the open shed where neatly piled stove sized firewood was stored. At the farther end was a stairway, very narrow that led to an attic room where old trunks and chests and odd pieces of furniture were stored. Then on the corner was the garage where at one time buggies and wagons were kept and later the cars. To one side and above the roof was a small windmill that pumped the water for the house.

Now there was a boarded fence from the garage to the barn and a doorway that led to the wide-open field. From that field on a clear night the lights of Worcester miles away could be seen.

The barn could house 15 cows and a bull and by the front doorway two oxen. Later, two horses were kept there. To the right was the granary with a very large hay loft. Underneath the barn was the barn yard. There were two white cats to get the rats. Outside and along the driveway was a stonewall and a gate that led to the pasture. Down the road behind the barn was a shed where a hay rake and plows and other farm equipment were kept. The pasture extended down the hill to the woods and along the path where blueberry and blackberry bushes grew.

Now, to go back to the driveway and across from the barn was a building with several units. Going up an outside stairway was the shoe shop where the family shoes were made and a desk where the farm accounts were kept. Underneath this was the creamery where the morning and evening milk was kept. In there was an open spring where the water would cool the milk in cans. Behind this was the bicycle shop where several bicycles and a motorcycle were kept. On the other side of this unit was the milk room where milk cans and bottles were washed, and extra ones were stored.

Now along the driveway toward the street was a weigh scale where wagon loads of hay were weighed. Down behind the unit was a good-sized flower bed and beyond a large vegetable garden. A hay field extended to the street and down the hill to the Cassy. A stone wall separated the pasture and the gardens and hay field. Along Boylston Street from the house to Gulf Street was a very large hay field.

Across the street from the house was “The Little House”, a six-room white clapboard building. Beside a short driveway was a lawn and the front door faced the street. Inside to the right of the hall was the stairway that led to three bedrooms. Downstairs to the left of the hall was the living room, then the dining room, then the kitchen. Out the back door in the kitchen was the walkway to the back house. The woodshed was to the right of the walkway.

There was a large backyard with apple trees and a space for a garden. Beside the driveway was a lawn and next was a large hayfield that extended down the hill to the Cassy. To the left of the Little House was a small well house. The pail was let down and filled with water and brought up by a pulley.