Updated: May 7
By Barbara A. Preston | Posted May 1, 2025
The Barn Quilt Trail of Central New Jersey will feature six barns that honor Montgomery’s rich agricultural heritage. By November, each barn will display a vibrant, one-of-a-kind quilt block. An interactive online map will be published, showcasing each barn quilt location along the trail.
On Route 206 in Belle Mead there is an iconic farm with bright red barns and tall white silos. For Don and Pat Matthews, this farm has been home for 73 years. It will be home to a barn quilt in November.
The project is “designed to reflect the values, stories, and traditions of our community,” said organizer and artist Karen Tuveson of Montgomery. “Each site was thoughtfully chosen to showcase barns across the region—from a bustling commercial property to hidden rural gems and working farms,” she said. “Together, they form a connected trail that celebrates local history, sustainable farming, and the evolving identity of our agricultural landscape.”
These six barns reflect the heartbeat of Montgomery—its labor, land, and legacy.
The Matthews Farm
Once a bustling dairy operation, the Matthews Farm stands as a testament to the area’s agricultural roots, nestled in the heart of Belle Mead. Known for its well-preserved red barns and silos, the farm’s enduring presence on Route 206 evokes the rhythms of rural life and the generations of farming families who have shaped the land. Its inclusion in the Barn Quilt Trail celebrates not only the region’s pastoral charm but also the deeper story it tells—one of resilience, stewardship, and the enduring beauty of agrarian traditions.
The Belle Mead Co-Op
Established in 1920, the Belle Mead Co-Op has been a cornerstone of the region’s agricultural life for over a century. Originally founded as “The Club” by local farmers seeking to pool resources and support one another, the Co-Op quickly became an essential hub for feed, grain, and farming supplies across central New Jersey. The prominent barn at the front of the property, built at the turn of the 20th century, once operated as a hay press—powered by horses in the cellar—where loose hay was pressed into bales and loaded onto railcars bound for distant horse farms. Today, this historic barn remains at the heart of the Co-Op, now fitted with 84 solar panels that provide much of the business’s electricity, underscoring a commitment to innovation and sustainability. Still locally owned and operated, the Co-Op is a rare symbol of cooperation, adaptability, and enduring community spirit.
Hidden Spring Lavender and Alpaca Farm
Spanning 25 acres, Hidden Spring Lavender and Alpaca Farm in Skillman offers visitors a serene, sensory-rich experience amidst fragrant lavender fields and gentle, curious alpacas. The property is 200 years old, first developed in the early 1800s. This family-run farm combines the calming beauty of nature with hands-on agricultural engagement. The gift shop features an array of thoughtfully crafted products made from farmgrown lavender, including oils, soaps, and sachets, reflecting the owners’ commitment to wellness, sustainability, and handmade quality. Beyond its visual charm, the farm fosters learning through workshops and seasonal events.
The Agridor Farm
The Agridor Farm barn rises from 12 acres of pasture land along the north side of Skillman Road — across the street from Princeton Show Jumping. While the earliest recorded deeds date back to 1778, the existing barn was built in 1880 by the Van Zandt family as a dairy facility. Standing 35 feet tall, the English-framed structure features rare architectural elements including swing-beams, steel rod trusses, and inclined purlin struts—details found in only a handful of barns remaining in Montgomery Township today. In 2006, the barn underwent an extensive restoration led by the Montgomery Landmarks Commission, preserving its historic form while ensuring its long-term structural integrity. Home to Angus beef cattle for much of the 20th century, Agridor Farm has focused on breeding sheep for the past two decades— continuing its legacy of sustainable livestock farming.
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The Pariso Farm
Nestled along Fairview Road with a view of the Sourlands, the Pariso family’s farm is a living tribute to stewardship, sustainability, and local history. Originally part of a much larger tract, the land was gifted in the early 1860s to Abraham J. Skillman, son of Mark “Stryker” Skillman. A passionate railroad advocate, Abraham hosted gatherings for railway executives as tracks were laid across his property—contributing to the naming of both the nearby train station and the town of Skillman. His legacy lives on in the towering 80-foot barn he built, where the original “Skillman” railroad sign still hangs proudly. Reconstructed in 2012–2013 with the help of Amish craftsmen, the barn retains most of its original handhewn timbers and features four distinct levels of functionality. From the old hay hook still suspended in the rafters to the surrounding gardens, every detail speaks to a long-standing relationship between people and land. Today, the Pariso farm is 14 acres.
Clem Fiori’s Barns
Renowned Blawenburg artist and open space advocate Clem Fiori has long championed preservation of the Garden State’s rolling fields, inviting woods, tumbling streams, and placid farmscapes. As much of the landscape in many states has been converted to housing developments or malls, Fiori’s 1995 book “The Vanishing New Jersey Landscape,” documents the beauty of the land. It is fitting his charming barns overlook Montgomery’s Hobler Park, and is surrounded by meadows and native plants. As a site on the Barn Quilt Trail, it stands as a visual tribute to the enduring relationship between creativity and conservation. The original house on the property was built in 1844, and the main barn (where his workshop is) was built in the 1850s.
