Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm
Stroudsburg PA
2006

quietvalley.org/history/

The history of Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm begins in the mid 1760’s when the Depper (also spelled “Zepper”) family left their home in the Palatinate region of Germany to begin a new life in America. They sailed from Rotterdam to Philadelphia on the English ship The Betsy, arriving in 1765. They made their way north looking for land that they could farm, and settled in Hamilton Township near modern-day Stroudsburg, likely by 1770.

Since 1974 Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm has been owned and operated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational corporation governed by a board of directors. Until her retirement in 2001 at the age of 85, Alice Wicks remained actively involved in the management of the museum. Sue and Gary Oiler remained farm managers until their retirement in 2005. Today the farm is open Tuesday through Sunday throughout the summer and for special events throughout the year. These include our major fundraisers of Farm Animal Frolic, Pocono State Craft Festival, Harvest Festival and Old Time Christmas. We host thousands of school- aged children throughout the school year and thousands of domestic and international visitors throughout the summer.

At Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm we strive to educate, engage, and inspire our visitors as we interpret the culture of 19th century farm families, helping them better understand the past and the way it connects with the present and the future.


The image of a quaint red barn against green grass is as American as apple pie, but where does the tradition come from? Although there are many myths about their rusty hue, early-day barns were painted red out of convenience and frugality.
One belief is that barns are red so a farmer's cows can find their way home, but if so, that's a failed strategy cattle are colorblind to the colors red and green .

Others believe the popularity of red barns came from copying Scandinavian farmers, who painted their properties in rusty hues so that they would appear to be made of brick, a material they considered to be a sign of wealth.

But barns weren't originally red in fact, they weren't painted at all. The early farmers that settled in New England didn't have much extra money to spend on paint , so most of their barns remained unpainted. By the late 1700s, farmers looking to shield their barns' wood from the elements began experimenting with ways to make their own protective paint.

A recipe consisting of skimmed milk, lime and red iron oxide created a rusty-colored mixture that became popular among farmers because it was cheap to make and lasted for years. Farmers were able to easily obtain iron oxide the compound that lends natural red clay its coppery color from soil. Linseed oil derived from flax plants was also used to seal bare wood against rotting, and it stained the wood a dark coral hue.

Farmers also noticed that painting their barns with the homemade paint kept the buildings warmer during the wintertime, since the darker color absorbs the sun's rays more than plain, tan wood. So red paint spread in popularity due to its functionality and convenience, becoming an American tradition that continues to this day.