Frederick Watts (1801-1889)
Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
On a 116-acre tract here stood the model farm created 1857-67 by this agricultural reformer. Watts was the first president of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society, 1851; a founder of the Farmers' High School (now Penn State); and U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture, 1871-76. The farm remained until 1988. Its site selection, layout, and building designs reflected Watts's pioneering ideas on farm efficiency.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On this Cumberland County tract in the mid-19th century, Frederick Watts laid out a model farm meant to prove that agriculture could be run as rationally as any industry. Watts helped found the Farmers' High School that grew into Penn State, led Pennsylvania's first agricultural society, and served as U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture in the 1870s. His careful site plans and building designs were arguments in wood and soil for a more efficient American farm.
Why it matters
Watts stood at the birth of scientific agriculture and land-grant education in America, movements that reshaped how the nation grew its food and trained its farmers.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Appalachian Trail Museum11.7 mi away
- Ye Olde Sulphur Spa Historical Society14.0 mi away
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Related people
- · Frederick Watts
Themes & tags
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