Billings Family Archives

Billings Farm is one of the best documented historic farms in America, with records dating back to the mid-19th century.  A state-of-the-art archive preserves these irreplaceable materials, which ensure the historical depth of our programs and help future generations explore our history. Research materials consist of printed, manuscript, and photographic material directly relating to the Billings Family, the Billings Farm, and the people who lived and worked on the farm and estate. You may browse the finding aid that describes archival holdings here.

 


Digital Archives


Click here to see our digital photo archives on Preservica.


Family Papers


An extensive collection of family letters, diaries, journals, guestbooks, estate inventories, and other personal papers created by three generations of the Billings family provide a rich source of information about the family’s personal interests and their domestic, social, and philanthropic activities.


Farm Records


Manuscript and typescript business correspondence, financial documents, herd records, and employee records document the farm operations and related activities from the establishment of the Billings Farm in 1871 through the 1990s.


Photographic materials


Photographs, negatives, and glass plates of the Billings family and farm dating from the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, visually describe agriculture and farm life in Woodstock, the Upper Connecticut River Valley, and Vermont. Notable is Frederick Billings’ collection of mammoth photographs and glass stereographs of the American West, taken by Carleton E. Watkins in the 1860s.


Maps and Architectural Drawings


Nineteenth century maps of the Billings family land holdings in Woodstock and architectural drawings of several buildings and landscaping plans on the estate, from the Billings era through the Rockefeller renovations of the Mansion and grounds in the 1950’s and 1960’s.


Library


A catalog of over 9,000 books relate to 19th and early 20th century agricultural practices and farm life in Vermont and New England to aid your research.


Access to the archives is by prior arrangement. Please contact Marianne Zephir, Archives & Curatorial Manager, at 802-457-5307 or by email at mzephir@billingsfarm.org.