On Saturday, October 19, starting at 1 p.m. at the Congregational Church on Main Street, John Porter, who is praised as “the most recognized scholar of farm buildings in the Northeast”, will present his popular new illustrated talk, “The History of Agriculture as Told by Barns”. John, who grew up on a farm in Lebanon, served for many years as a UNH dairy specialist, and co-authored the N.H. Barn Committee’s new publication, Preserving Old Barns, Preventing the Loss of a Valuable Resource.

 Immediately following the presentation, Orford’s Shawn Washburn will host an afternoon visit to the historic Washburn Hill farm located off of Brook Road in Orfordville. The long-time home of the late Laura and Herb Verry, this peaceful spot with its old English-style barn and large Yankee-style barn is now the best preserved remaining historic farmstead in Orford, and has been in the same Washburn family since the mid-1800s.

 Free and Open to the Public

The talk will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, October 19th at the Orford Historical Society, Orford Congregational Church, 617 NH-10, Orford, NH.

Porter’s new book is an important part of the N.H. Preservation Alliance, NH Division of Historical Resources and other partners’ barn preservation efforts. You can purchase copies by visiting our online shop