Historic New England: Casey Farm

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Striped header image reading "Historic New England Casey Farm"

Last Saturday, I visited Casey Farm, a Historic New England (HNE) property located in Saunderstown, RI. The property spans over 300 acres between Narragansett Bay and the Pettaquamscutt River and includes a Georgian style house, multiple barns and outbuildings, more than ten miles of stone walls, a family cemetery, working gardens, heritage breed animals, and a weekly farmers market. There is a lot to take in!

A shingle-covered barn stands before a whitewashed wooden fence, stone wall, and flower garden.

History of Casey Farm

The 18th century farm supported multiple generations of the same family, with surnames including Morey and Coggeshall, along with Casey. Constructed as a plantation in 1750 by Daniel Coggeshall Jr., the farm grew mostly grains. For later generations, the farm was a rental property, with two rooms saved as summer vacation housing. The farm was bequeathed to the Society for Preservation of New England Antiquities, the precursor to Historic New England, by Edward Pearce Casey and his wife Lillian Berry and was given to the society upon Berry’s death in 1955.

The back of an 18th century whitewashed farmhouse with sloped shingle room. A 19th century building with shingle siding and whitewashed wooden front standing near a small flower garden and wooden bench. Another long shingle sided building with whitewashed barn doors. Two single-room cottages are attached to the right of the larger building. A small, shingle-sided building on stone stilts.  A two-story whitewashed 18th century house with a triangular addition on the back. Several shingle-sided buildings around a lawn. Two pairs of double doors, one in front of the other, with the outer pair acting as shutters. A window with many panes of glass stretches the length above the door. Inch-wide hole in a whitewashed door. 
A glass panel reveals the rough wood underneath whitewashed wooden siding.

Notable residents include Silas Casey and his wife Abigail Coggeshall Casey, who lent their name to the farm and were the only members to live there full time. Religion must have been an interesting topic at the farm. Silas was Congregationalist, the descendants of the Puritans. Abigail’s Quaker family had been banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony because of their beliefs. Both Silas and Abigail maintained the style of clothing particular to their denomination. Their portraits hang side by side in the parlor of the Casey Farm home. General Thomas Lincoln Casey, Sr. was the grandson of Silas and Abigail. He graduated first in his class from West Point in 1852. After serving in the Civil War, he aided in the completion of the Washington Monument. In his portrait, he wears the classic Regulation Dress Coat given to Union officers.

A pair of late 18th century portraits. On the left is a man wearing standard 18th century formal clothing. On the right is a women wearing traditional Quaker clothing. Portrait of man dressed in a mid-19th century Civil War era Union military officer coat. His hand rests on the hilt of a decorative sword.

The sites and programs of HNE emphasize the lives of people often forgotten in history, and Casey Farm is no exception. “Three Sisters RainKeep”, a sculpture designed by artists Allison Newsome and Deborah Spears Moorehead, represents the corn, beans, and squash grown by Native Americans, including the Narragansett who live in Rhode Island. Moorehead is a member of the Seaconke Pokanoket Wampanoag Tribe.

Additionally, Casey Farm celebrated Juneteenth on the day after my visit, using historical researcher about the property and surrounding area to guide the event. While Coggeshalls were Quakers, a religious group that later became known for their anti-slavery activism, the Quakers did not ban slavery for their members until the 1790s. The family likely had indentured servants as workers, and they may have owned enslaved people, as was common for families of their means. Researchers at HNE continue to learn more about the family and the farm.

A shingle-sided barn with a high stone foundation.


Community Supported Agriculture

The Community Supported Agriculture at Casey Farm allows Rhode Islanders to to buy a share of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, that last from June to October, and support a family of four. A share costs $570 annually and must be picked up every week. The members also receive a household membership to HNE.

In the foreground is a patchy grass pasture and vegetable patch in the early stages of growth. Beyond the field are a road and trees. In the background is the water of Narragansett Bay and the opposite shore. A row of brightly painted signs give the English and Spanish words for the vegetables grown in that row.
Multiple 18th and 19th century shingle-sided farm buildings sit on the horizon beyond a lush, grassy field underneath a bright but cloud-filled sky. 
Rows of potted plants, lavender, and vegetables, and vegetables underneath a cloudy sky. Stone walls and an 18th century farm house are visible in the background.

Heritage Farm Animals

Casey Farm is home to heritage breed farm animals, including Pekin ducks, Dominique and Rhode Island Red chickens, Berkshire pigs, several breeds of turkeys, and a pair of albino rabbits. Koi and hydroponic plants live in a trough near the entrance. The animals can be seen during the led tour of the property.

An albino rabbit lays on straw in a wooden hutch. A pig wallows in the mud. Multiple turkeys stand behind a mesh fence and surround a turkey feeder and wooden perch made from a cable spool. Several ducks stand behind a mesh fence and surround a kiddie pool filled with murky water. Many chickens stand behind a mesh fence near a triangular wooden hut about two feet tall. Many chickens stand behind a mesh fence near a wooden, triangular hut about two feet tall and a wooden balance beam of equal height. Two fish in water near lily pads


Silas Casey Cemetery

Six generations of the Casey family are buried in Rhode Island Historical Cemetery North Kingston 65. Unlike other New England colonies that later became states, the strict separation between church and state in Rhode Island prevented the formation of town commons and community cemeteries. Instead, families buried their deceased loved ones in the fields near their home or in a small church cemetery. According to the Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission of the State of Rhode Island, the area is known to have at least 2833 cemeteries in varying states of upkeep. The cemetery at Casey Farm is in good care, surrounded by a stone wall and away from the public.

A mid 18th century headstone with an eerie angel head motif Stone monument to Edward Casey. Large stone grave marker, about six feet long. Large stone grave marker, about six feet long Ornate headstone with art nouveau decoration

Visit Information

Guided farm tours are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $5 for students and children, and $25 for a full family. Historic New England members, like myself, can tour for free. North Kingston residents also receive free admission. Tours are supposed to last for 45 minutes, although mine lasted for 90 minutes because I had so many questions. Wear sturdy shoes and be prepared to do a lot of walking

The weekly farmers market, held on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., are free to the public. Visitors interested in exploring the grounds can take the self-guided Casey Farm tour available online.

Sign that reads in part "Casey Farm. Open for tours June 1 - October 15."

Abby Epplett’s Rating System:
Experience: 9/10
Accessibility: 7/10
Location: 2325 Boston Neck Rd, Saunderstown, RI 02874, USA