Harford Legacy Farm Commemorative Book

Stewart Farm est. 1905 - Street, MD

Current Owners: David and Marilyn Thompson Original Purchaser: John W. Stewart and Sarah E. Stewart Current Acreage: 104 Current Agricultural Products or Services: wholesale nursery production Preserved

On March 3, 1905, John W. Stewart and Sarah E. Stewart purchased this 96-acre tract of land, 3710 Burkins Rd., Street, Md. 21154 for $2800.00. The land was handed down to the Stewarts' five children in 1962. The farm was later transferred to the two sisters, Viola S. Taylor and Pearl S. Miller, Pearl was the Grandmother of Marilyn C. Thompson. In 1990, Marilyn C. Thompson and her husband, W. David Thompson, became sole owners of the farm. Marilyn and Dave’s oldest son, Brad, now live on this farm with his wife, Kristen, and their three children. Several additions and improvements to the Farmhouse and property have been completed as of 2023. The barn houses all the kids' 4-H animals. The agricultural history of this farm has seen many changes. In 1905, John and Sarah Stewart moved onto the property where they lived in an old cabin with a dirt floor. This is where the Stewarts raised their 5 children until they could afford to build the present house, bank barn, and outbuildings. These structures were all built from Chestnut lumber milled on sight that was harvested from the property. One of the outbuildings, the Forge shop, still exists today. The Stewarts grew typical agricultural crops for their livestock. They had several large chicken coops, they raised hogs, beef, and milked dairy cows. The lower section of the massive barn was set up with stanchions for milking. Their milk back then was put into milk cans and taken up to Highland to meet the Ma-Pa Railroad to haul their milk to Baltimore. Pearl decided in the late 60’s to sell the cows and stop shipping milk. The management of the land was taken over by Marilyn’s dad, Paul Crowl, who had a large dairy farm on Cherry Hill Rd. Paul farmed the ground for silage corn and alfalfa hay for his dairy herd. The fenced pastures were used for dry cows and heifers. Beginning in 2005, the corn and alfalfa ground slowly converted over to nursery stock growing trees, conifers, and shrubs for Foxborough Nursery. Brad manages the growing of all the nursery crops. Marilyn and Dave started Foxborough Nursery in 1978, a family business, with their two sons, Brad and Andrew on the 68-acre Miller farm which adjoins the Stewart farm. The Miller farm was owned and farmed by Pearl S. Miller and her husband Hayes Miller.