OZRO ELLIS—1849-1929

Picture and text from Barnard  A Look Back by Marie deGiacomo, 1982 Greenhill Books Randolph Center

Now before I get completely away from Vermont I will expand my imagination even more.  The history I have of Ozro is taken from interviews with Philip Desmond, owner of Ellis Farm in 1999, and articles from The Harbor.  Since Harlan has left the farm Ozro will take over the operation of the farm.  That will include managing the quarrying of granite from Ellis Mountain.  From the sources I cited earlier, indications are that the granite from the mountain was used extensively throughout the area.  

Author at the Granite Quarry on Ellis Mountain

The method of harvesting the granite was by the “drill and fill” method.  Holes were drilled into the granite, by hand, several inches apart and then filled with water.  I was told that this operation was done during the winter months so as the water froze and expanded the rock was forced apart.  The granite, being layered, would split off into rather uniform slabs which were then loaded on a stone boat or as some say stone sled.  This piece of equipment consisted of two wooden runners tapered in front and a platform secured to the runners forming a very low sled.  This was pulled by horses down trails on the mountain and to the place where the granite was to be used.  The use of granite for foundations and retaining walls was prevalent at that time and were laid up with the “dry stone” method.  That is no mortar was used but by careful fitting the stones were placed and remain in place to this day.  The dry stone method was mostly abandoned after the Civil War as poured concrete became more readily available.  Some walls and fences still use the dry stone method. 

Barn foundation Ellis Farm

Retaining wall at the end of the Barn

This excerpt was taken from The Harbor  published July 1976 by the East Barnard Community Club:  The stone quarry on Ellis Mountain furnished the underpinnings and handsome doorsteps for many homes in the valley and for houses as far away as Woodstock. The wall around the Billings’ Mansion  is built with Ellis Mountain stone.  The stones were all moved by sleds in the winter.  

Granite doorstep at the Ellis Farm House

My cousin, Helen, in Wisconsin found another use for Vermont granite.  While she was visiting the farm in 1998 she asked Mr. Desmond for a slab of granite that she intended to use for her tombstone when she dies.  This has been marked and placed at the grave of her husband.  It will be ready for when it is time.   

Headstone for Elroy and Helen Moe

My wife and I found another use of the granite slabs as indicated in this picture of granite fence posts in use in the Royalton area.  Since granite is quite abundant in that area I don’t know if the granite posts came from Ellis Mountain or not.  But I thought them quite interesting.  Yankee ingenuity at work.
  
Another use for the granite as we found out on our trip to Vermont was that it was  used to build a dam at the Billings Living History Farm near Woodstock.  The dam is roughly eight feet high and thirty to fifty feet across.

Dam at Billings Living Farm

The Ellis FARM IN VERMONT

Aerial View of the Ellis Farm

The town of Barnard was given a charter on July 17,1761.  However, the first settlers in East Barnard did not arrive until 1785.  Moses Ellis settled on the place now owned by Mrs. De Rothschild.  His farm was in the Ellis family for 165 years.  The stone quarry on Ellis Mountain furnished granite for many foundations and for door steps for many homes in the valley and for houses as far away as Woodstock, Vermont.  The wall around the Billings mansion is built with Ellis Mountain stone.  The forgoing was taken from a publication called The Harbor a Glimpse at East Barnard.  Published in 1976 by the East Barnard Community Club.

   The dam at Billings Living History Farm is also of Ellis Mountain stone but the Granite Quarry is another story.   

Moses with his brother, Joseph, were the ones who came to Barnard, VT. from Walpole, MA. in 1785.  Moses at age 16 settled the Ellis Farm that is dated 1785.  This is painted on the big barn probably at the year of completion.  His brother Joseph settled an adjoining farm.  This is supposition on my part but I feel that the move from Walpole to Vermont was prompted by the offer of free land since Vermont had not yet achieved Statehood. The adventuresome spirit of the young men of that era probably had a lot to do with it.

Photograph of Ellis Farm circa 1925

 

I had heard about the “Ellis Farm” since I was a young boy. Indeed I had grown up with a picture of a lady on a horse just below the barn.  The picture had been taken sometime in the 1920’s or 30’s.

 None of my family had ever been to the farm in Vermont until my younger brother, Bill, was stationed in Boston during the Korean War.  He had an opportunity to visit the farm while on leave.  He was told the Rothschild’s were away from the farm but Bill was allowed to drive up and visit. He was met by the Gardner who showed him around.  This would have been in the 1950’s.

My first visit to the Farm came sometime in the 1970’s.  There was to be an international Physical Therapist Convention in Montreal, Canada.  Plans were made to drive to the convention by way of the Ellis Farm.  When we arrived in Barnard, VT.  I called the farm and was greeted by the Baroness de Rothschild.  She was a very gracious lady and invited us to come out and gave me directions to drive there.  Arriving at the farm we were met by the Baroness who invited us to look at the house, barn and her rose garden, in which she had been working.  In a cashmere sweater I might add.  She allowed me to take as many pictures as I wanted.

Barn at the Ellis Farm taken in 1999

 

She also shared several stories about her life there.  She said that, “at first the neighbors predicted that now that the Baron had purchased the place he would probably repaint the barn and paint out the Ellis name. That is precisely what he did but with orders to repaint the name and as long as he owned the farm the name would always stay.”

  She told another of a visit she had had from my Dad’s brother Bert.  Bert had come from Iowa Falls, Iowa and he brought a seedling black walnut tree for her to plant at the farm.  She gave him a native pine tree to take back to Iowa. 

East Barnard Cemetery taken 1999

 

The Baroness is buried in the cemetery in East Barnard.




Click on pictures to enlarge.