Timeline
1763 Town of Shelburne is chartered
1791 Vermont becomes 14th state
1800s Small farms established on Shelburne Point
1851 William Seward Webb is born
1860 Lila Osgood Vanderbilt is born
1881 Seward Webb & Lila Vanderbilt marry
1886 Seward & Lila begin purchasing farms on Shelburne Point
1888 Original Shelburne House completed
1890 Farm Barn completed
1891 Breeding Barn & Old Dairy Barn completed
1900 Major Shelburne House renovations completed
1902 Coach Barn completed
1913 Lila & Seward give Southern Acres to their eldest son J. Watson & his wife, Electra Havemeyer Webb
1926 Seward Webb dies
1936 Lila Webb dies. Her youngest son, Vanderbilt, takes lead role in managing the property.
1947 Electra Havemeyer Webb founds Shelburne Museum
1956 Vanderbilt dies. He leaves northern portion of property to his son Derick
1960 J. Watson & Electra die, leaving Southern Acres to their children.
1970 First summer camps are held at Shelburne Farms
1972 Derick’s six children form nonprofit Shelburne Farms Resources (now simply known as “Shelburne Farms”)
1976 Derick donates Farm Barn, Coach Barn, & Shelburne House to nonprofit
1977 We begin our first school programs.
1980 The Farm's buildings & landscape are listed on National Register of Historic Places
1981 We begin cheese making, launch property tours, and open our first education center at the Coach Barn.
1984 Derick Webb dies. He bequeaths the property of Shelburne Farms to the nonprofit
1986 Sam Sr., J. Watson Jr., & Harry Webb (the children of Electra and J. Watson) donate land at Southern Acres to Shelburne Museum
First edition of Project Seasons curriculum guide published
North Gate house renovated into Welcome Center.
1987 Shelburne House renovated and opens as The Inn at Shelburne Farms
1988 We begin our first international programs for educators
1990 Our farmhouse cheddar wins first American Cheese Society Award
1991 Children’s Farmyard opens
1993 Farm Barn renovations completed; McClure Center for School Programs opens at the Farm Barn
1994 We acquire Southern Acres from Shelburne Museum; descendants of Electra & J. Watson Webb contribute land & easements
1995 Shelburne Farms earns National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award;
New Zealand-style milking parlor constructed
1996 New copper roof installed on Breeding Barn
2001 The property of Shelburne Farms receives National Historic Landmark designation
2003 Landscape Stewardship master plan completed
2006 Cooking with Shelburne Farms published
Shelburne Farms co-founds national Farm-based Education Association
2007 Restoration of formal gardens begins
2008 Tri-lateral partnership for sustainability education launched with Japan and China