History

The original Codman family farm, sometimes referred to as “The Grange,” was established in the early 19th century on the former estate of Chambers Russell, one of Lincoln’s founders.

The property itself dates back to the founding of the town of Lincoln in 1754 whereby Chambers Russell named the town of Lincoln for his family home in Lincolnshire, England. He died in 1767 and left his original homestead - where he grew corn, flax, oats hay, livestock, and poultry, to his nephew Charles Russell Codman. The last of the Codman Family passed away in 1968 and the property was then split, with Historic New England assuming ownership of the main house and grounds, and the town of Lincoln assuming ownership of the historic barns and farm property. For more information on the property head over to the website from Historic New England.

The farm had been in continuous operation for over 150 years, with respectable dairy, vegetable and fruit operations. It was one of only a handful of working farms in Lincoln remaining after the Second World War. When Dorothy Codman died in 1967, her will provided for the transfer of the barns and acreage to the Ogden Codman Trust. In 1970, the town of Lincoln purchased the property, and in 1973 voted at town meeting to create a nonprofit Codman Community Farms, Inc., to run its operation.