05/27/2026
Edward Ayer’s Twin Barns
Most lakeshore estates of the Gilded Age included several gardens and an inland farm. Edward Ayer’s 1200-acre property included his home (The Oaks) now Abbey Springs on the lake shore, two farms, and five miles of walking paths.
Mr. Ayer named his two farms Upland #1 and Upland #2. As you look at the barns from county road BB near Walworth, the one on your right was used for beef cattle; the one on the left, for dairy cattle. The large barns were built of Oregon fir and gray shake cladding. The roof and siding were assembled with wooden pegs and hand-made nails. In 1913 it was reported that the barns were electrified and a milking machine had been installed. The acreage was beautified by a mile of stone fence.
Apparently, there was a stone underground passageway beneath South Shore Drive connecting their lakeside house and the farm. Mrs. Ayer enjoyed riding her horse through the oak forest on their property and used the passageway to the farm so she didn’t have to worry about the automobiles on the road.
The “twin barns” were sold in 1916 and 1918, but were noted in a 1985 survey as “visually outstanding.”
*copied from Black Point Estates page
