A leader in introducing new dairy techniques to Dartmouth, the Gulf Hill Dairy Farm dates started 1896 with a herd of about 50 cows and brought milk into New Bedford by horse-drawn wagons, according to the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Gulf Hill continued as a leader in the area's dairy industry through World War II and beyond, when the industry became more industrialized.
Barn conversions can be magical places to live, with beautiful old timbers, soaring spaces, and the sense of history that you just don't get with a new self build. But they're also notorious for being expensive, complicated, and full of nasty surprises that even seasoned developers underestimate. If you're considering taking on a barn, it's worth knowing the warning signs that might mean the project simply isn't viable.
The initial situation before the conversion was a historic farmstead in the area north of the Danube. The existing ensemble is characterized by two separate building parts: a courtyard area, which was formerly used as living space, and an inn in the house floor (now disused), and an old barn, which had initially served as a pigsty since the 1970s and later as a partially rented area.