McClelland-Grimes Farm
Also known as: Elysian Fields Farm
Why it's listed
Pasture-dominated farmland in the hills northeast of Waynesburg, Greene County, centers on an 1873 brick Italianate farmhouse built by Michael M. McClelland. The farm combines woodlots, cropland, streams and a farmstead of fourteen buildings, eight of them contributing, including an 1883 timber frame barn, a late nineteenth-century sheep barn, a smoke house and ice house, and a mid-twentieth-century poultry house. McClelland's holdings grew to 512 acres with 450 sheep at their largest, and his production in 1850 and 1880 exceeded township and county averages in livestock, butter and corn. After his 1888 financial reversal, the farm passed through the Grimes family, whose records document diversified income from sheep, hay, coal and natural gas. The property is regarded as a representative survivor of the region's sheep-raising economy and its later shift toward diversification.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is a fine example of southwestern Pennsylvania diversified agriculture and sheep raising under Criterion A, illustrating production patterns for the periods 1850-1890, 1890-1930 and 1930-1960. Its house, barns, wash house, corn crib and scale shed are cited as physical evidence of changing farm strategies, and the farm's pasture and crop landscape is treated as coequal with its buildings.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 09000386, listed June 28, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 844 Craynes Run Rd., Morgan |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | June 28, 2010 |
| Reference number | 09000386 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1850-1959 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Parts of the original 342-acre farm have been subdivided; the farm is in agricultural use and the present owner has reassembled nearly 200 acres for an organic lamb operation. |
| Acreage | 192 |
| Coordinates | 39.96370, -74.13850 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 09000386.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15252512
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.