The dairy farm was bought from the Card estate in 1945 by Raymond and Rita Bishop. It was in the Card family for over a hundred years. The Cards were related to Addie Card whose image was put on a postage stamp. At the time the stamp was printed, no one knew who she was. Nevertheless a book was written inspired by the stamp. Diligent research later identified the subject in the picture.
There had been a barn and silo on the property, but it no longer existed in 1960.
The Card Family obtained their water from a pipe that ran from a dam on Ball Brook to an underground cistern underneath their kitchen. A pump called a hydraulic ram lifted a portion of water uphill using the kinetic energy of the flowing water. In 1958 a well was dug at the house, at 68 feet a plentiful source of water was found. Water came above the ground surface, a term called 'artesian well'
In 1900 there were almost no trees, In 1945 the land was still mostly open. Dick Sweet the farmer across the road had a dairy farm and used the land for his cows. Over the years he abandoned some fields, so gradually it became more wooded. Ray Bishop had a saw mill and cut down pines on the property to make the knotty pine paneling for his living room.
The Card house was sold in 1970, but the majority of the farmland was kept. The property now consists of 73 acres of pastures, woods and pond located one mile from route 7 in Pownal Vermont, directly between Williamstown Mass and Bennington Vt. There are 0.6 miles of frontage on Niles School Rd, starting just beyond pavement. Access to Barber Pond Rd is also available from property kept when lots were sold on Barber Pond Road in 1970. Outstanding buildings sites with views from several locations. Pond also has good sites.
Most of the land is gravel and sand based, a gift of the glaciers. Read about 'Eskers' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esker.
Stone walls running throughout property testify that the land was at one time completely farmed. They also show how important clearing the fields was to farmers. More recent barbed wire marks many of the stone walls.
The oldest woods are about 100 years old, older very large trees are found near old paths.
A pent road (private road) divides the property, natural location for subdivision.
Grace Greylock Niles described this area of Pownal and this property in her 1904 book, Bogtrotting for Orchids.
Read it for free: here
page 198 mentions the blacksmith shop that was located next to the swamp that is now the pond.
page 198 mentions the blacksmith shop that was located next to the swamp that is now the pond.
