The Morgan Horse Farm is a historic horse breeding facility at 74 Battell Drive (off Morgan Horse Farm Road) in

Weybridge, Vermont Weybridge is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 814 at the 2020 census. Geography Weybridge is located in central Addison County in the Champlain Valley. It is bordered by the town of Middlebury to the southeast ...

. Since 1907, it has been an official breeding site for the Morgan horse, one of the first American-bred horse breeds, and Vermont's official

state animal This is a list of animals that represent first-level administrative country subdivisions. List by country Australia Brazil * See also List of Brazilian state birds Canada People's Republic of China India Indonesia Italy Japan ...

. The breeding program was established in

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

in 1905, and moved to this site in 1907 by the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

, and is now run by the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...

. The farm is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Description and history

The Morgan Horse Farm is located on the east side of Morgan Horse Farm Road, on Weybridge's east side, on overlooking Otter Creek. A broad lawn separates the farm's main cluster of buildings from the road, prominently featuring a statue of

Figure Figure may refer to: General *A shape, drawing, depiction, or geometric configuration *Figure (wood), wood appearance *Figure (music), distinguished from musical motif *Noise figure, in telecommunication *Dance figure, an elementary dance pattern ...

the founding sire of the Morgan horse breed. The property includes a 19th-century mansard-roofed barn with Second Empire styling, and a historic brick Greek Revival house, built for one of the early farmers of the land. with The Morgan horse breed traces its origins to the activities of

Justin Morgan Justin Morgan (February 28, 1747 – March 22, 1798) was a U.S. horse breeder and composer. He was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and by 1788 had settled in Vermont. In addition to being a horse breeder and farmer, he was a teacher of ...

, who purchased Figure in the 1790s. The breed saw widespread expansion and use throughout the United States in the 19th century, spawning several other important breeds. In 1905, the United States Department of Agriculture established a breeding program on the campus of the

in Burlington. Two years later, it moved to this property, donated by

Joseph Battell Joseph Battell (July 15, 1839 – February 23, 1915) was a publisher and philanthropist from Middlebury, Vermont. Battell is credited with preserving Vermont forest land including the land for Camel's Hump State Park. The Joseph Batte ...

, founder of the American Morgan Register. The facilities were turned over to the University of Vermont in 1951. The site is a tourist attraction for aficionados of Morgan horses, and continues to be a leader in the development of the breed.

References

External links

UVM Morgan Horse Farm web site
{{coord, 44.0410975, -73.1833196, display=title Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont National Register of Historic Places in Addison County, Vermont Greek Revival architecture in Vermont Second Empire architecture in Vermont Buildings and structures completed in 1907 Buildings and structures in Weybridge, Vermont Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont University of Vermont 1907 establishments in Vermont