Coggeshall Farm Museum's Harvest Gala auction will be live September 21, 2023

Join us in celebrating Coggeshall Farm Museum's 50th anniversary by participating in our online auction!

In 1965, the state of Rhode Island purchased the former Samuel P. Colt estate, including the 48-acre farm now known as Coggeshall Farm, for use as a state park.  With the historic 18th-century farmhouse facing possible demolition, several members of the Bristol Historical Society approached then-Governor John Chaffee for permission to convert Coggeshall Farm into a museum.

By 1973, the project had expanded beyond the scope of the Historical Society, and Coggeshall Farm Museum was incorporated as its own private, non-profit organization as "a quiet, authentic place for 20th-century Americans to observe the lifestyles of 1750 Rhode Island." In the last decade, interpretation of the site has refocused primarily on the 1790s, the decade between the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, known as the Federalist Era.

In January 2020, Old Sturbridge Village and Coggeshall Farm Museum began an innovative new partnership.  Old Sturbridge Village now manages the daily operations of Coggeshall Farm through a management contract.  We are grateful to the community that has supported Coggeshall Farm for its first 50 years - and look forward to welcoming you to the Farm for many years to come!