Newbury, Mass #1: Visited the Historic Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm

We recently visited the historic Spence-Pierce-Little Farm in Newbury, Massachusetts. It is located next to Newburyport that we talked about in last week's blog. You'll learn about the history of the farm from the Native Americans to the English settlers, and meet some animals!

(Tom was hanging around the asses on the farm. Credit: R.G.) 

OUR VISIT - We visited on July 24, 2026, and it was a perfect weather day with temperatures in the 70s with sunshine and blue sky. We enjoyed walking around the farm, which is an active, working farm today. A couple of people were tending to the sheep, donkeys and goats and there were young kids visiting from a summer camp. 

(One donkey said to the other, "Don't be such an ass.": Credit: R.G.)

TOM FEEDS A DONKEY! - Tom enjoyed hanging around the asses, uh, donkeys, because he got to feed them hay and carrots.  He has a soft spot for donkeys, because he donates to a donkey rescue. I guess they could sense that! 

ABOUT THE SPENCER-PEIRCE LITTLE FARM - Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm is located at 5 Little’s Lane,Newbury, MA. It's a family-friendly National Historic Landmark with activities for all ages. The 230-acre site includes a 1690 manor house (That's another blog) that served as the country seat of wealthy Newburyport merchants and an attached farmhouse that was home to a Lithuanian family for most of the twentieth century. 

COOL FACT - Today, the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm fosters animals in partnership
with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Visit friendly sheep, goats, chickens, and a horse throughout the year.

(Photo: Rob decided to hang out with the old (and young) goats.)

EVENTS THERE-  Take a farm tour or attend one of the outdoor events, including Vintage Base Ball from May to October. The site is available for weddings and private events. 

WHO IS THE FARM NAMED AFTER? The Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm is named after three prominent families who owned the land over the centuries: John Spencer, who received the original land grant in 1635 and was granted 400 acres of cleared grazing land; Daniel Peirce Sr., who bought the property in 1651; and Edward Little, who purchased the farm in 1861.

 

(There were a lot of sheep on the farm!)

LAND THROUGH HISTORY - The land was called Quascacunquen, meaning waterfall, with the English renaming it Newbury in 1635. Similarly, the Quascacunquen River was renamed the Parker River. Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm sits on the homeland of the Pawtucket and Penacook Native Americans, dating back thousands of years. 

     An archeological dig identified an indigenous site at the farm, which is evidence to the presence of these groups, centuries prior to the arrival of the English. The Pawtucket and Penacook were both semi-autonomous groups who moved with the seasons. They used the land, that now makes up the North Shore, for fishing, hunting, foraging,