Pear and Bramble - An American Homestead

Husband and wife team renovate
an 1870's farmhouse
while restoring 1.9 acres of
land to homestead

an 1870's farmhouse

Built in the Victorian Era between 1870 and 1900, our original farmhouse has housed generations of happy families. In the modern day, it is ready to be lovingly renovated and restored.

4 outbuildings

One original barn, a dedicated chicken coop, pole shed, and one-car garage with a stone foundation dated 1822. All outbuildings are in various stages of decay. We plan to bring them back to life.

1.9 Acres

Once part of a much larger land parcel, our acreage was divided by the founding family.
Their descendants used it as a homestead, a legacy we hope to honor.

1 determined couple

Two best friends became husband and wife. Now they're realizing a years-long dream of finding that perfect little slice of land to call their own.

our story

For more than seven years we have dreamed of having a piece of land to call our own. We’ve planned gardens in our heads, drawn up house ideas, and thought of what it might be like to have chickens or ducks or goats. We spent a lot of time dreaming, but we never had the chance to start doing. Until now.

We’re starting from scratch in our 1870’s farmhouse on 1.9 acres. The house needs renovations, as do our four outbuildings. We’re learning to start our own food garden and already making plans to add chickens to our little farmstead. There’s plenty that needs fixing and a lot of work ahead, but for us that’s just part of the adventure.

We both have farm living in the legacy of our families, but we were not raised as farmers. So, while farm living may be in our blood, this is the first time it’s in our hands.

We are relearning the old-fashioned life skills our generation has forgotten and returning to our more rural roots.

be the first to see our "empty house" tour

We want to feel the grass beneath our feet, wake up with the sun in the early morning, and feel like we earned the rest when our heads hit the pillows at night. We are following the call that so many in our modern world hear. The call to live a more simple, intentional, and purposeful life.

There is so much we don’t know, so much to learn, so much to rediscover. Let’s get one thing straight—we’re not experts. We’re just two people figuring it out as we go, working toward our dream life. We expect to make mistakes. We know there will be challenges. And we also know that that’s the best way to learn.

If you’re here for advice on how to grow your own food in the garden, cook from scratch, keep chickens, do-it-yourself projects, and old house renovations then you’re in the right place. We’re coming at this from a practical, and personal, perspective. We research from a variety of sources then bring it all together to see what works for us. We’ll be sharing our blunders, our successes, our ups, and our downs.

We hope you’ll join us for the journey.

Pear and Bramble • An american homestead

Husband and wife team renovate an 1870's farmhouse while restoring 1.9 acres of land to homestead