Mosher Farmstead
Why it's listed
Mosher Farmstead is a 178.9-acre farm along Sherwood Road east of Aurora, in the town of Ledyard. Its buildings stand on the south side of the road: a late nineteenth century farmhouse, a tenant house, and seven agricultural buildings. The farm began around 1887, when E. W. Mosher bought a large farm. In 1907 he built a massive U-shaped, gambrel-roofed dairy barn and opened Brightside Farms, known for milk and cream from registered Jersey cattle. After a fire in 1921, his son R. E. Mosher rebuilt the complex to the original plans. Large-scale dairying ended with his death in 1923. The barn still holds original hay tracks, ventilation shafts, metal stanchions, water cups, cork-tile flooring and feed carts. A calf barn, bull barn, machine shed, shop and two chicken houses also survive. The property was listed for its intact agricultural architecture and its link to Finger Lakes dairy farming.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1880s - ca. 1921 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late 19th/early 20th century: vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Acreage | 178.9 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Mosher Farmstead (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.