Green Oaks Farm

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's the story of Green Oaks Farm. Green Oaks Farm sits on land that goes back to the Maximo Moreno eleven league grant of 1834. That's where this story starts, and it's a foundation worth standing on.

Moses Griffin, born in 1793, and his wife Barzilla Curry Griffin, born in 1801, received land from that grant. Moses passed in 1858, Barzilla in 1873, and before all was said and done, they had transferred that land to their daughter, Cornelia Griffin Heard, also known as Hurd, Rich, born in 1843. Cornelia would live until 1934, and in that span of years she would watch this farm become something more than just acreage.

In 1882 she built a farmhouse, and south of that farmhouse, Mount Vernon School opened its doors. A community called Echo took shape on the northeastern edge of this very land. Now think about that.

A school, a whole community, growing right here at the edges of one family's farm. But the farm wasn't just a center for settlers putting down roots. It was also a crossroads for folks passing through.

A trail vital to settlement crossed Friars Creek, running diagonally right across the property. The creek and a well on this land provided water to area residents and to travelers alike. In dry country, that matters.

Water is a reason people stop, and sometimes a reason they stay. Green Oaks Farm has kept all of that history in its soil, and it continues to serve as a record of early area settlement and exploration. Some places just hold onto their stories.

This one does.

What the marker says

Historic Green Oaks Farm is part of the Maximo Moreno eleven league grant of 1834. Moses (1793-1858) and Barzilla Curry Griffin (1801-1873) received land from this grant, and later transferred it to their daughter, Cornelia Griffin Heard (Hurd) Rich (1843-1934). The farm became a focal point for area settlers; Mount Vernon School opened south of a farmhouse Rich built in 1882 and the community of Echo developed on the northeastern edge of this land. Also, a trail vital to the settlement crossed Friars Creek, running diagonally across the property. The creek and a well provided water to area residents and to travelers. The farm continues to serve as a record of early area settlement and exploration. (2009)