THE LAND

Edward Hand purchased the tract of land upon which he would later build Rock Ford in two transactions: 160 acres in 1785 and an additional 17 acres in 1792. While owned by the Hand family, the property was a working farm with fields, livestock, and extensive orchards. Edward Hand, an avid horticulturist, is remembered for introducing a cultivar of plum, which subsequently bore his name. By the late 1790's, in addition to the mansion, the farm boasted a tenant house, springhouse, two barns, and numerous outbuildings.

After being sold from the Hand Estate in 1810, the property was operated as a tenant farm into the mid-20th century. The tenant farmers living here for about 150 years made almost no changes to the house.

General Hand's estate inventory was instrumental both in locating specific articles from his residency and in furnishing the rooms. Archaeological excavations in the surrounding grounds have unearthed well-preserved artifacts, in addition to foundations of outbuildings mentioned in tax records.