ACTIVITIES & ATTRACTIONS
So much to see & do!
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historic homestead
We love history and we’re especially proud of our Louisiana farming heritage! Our restored old farm homestead, collection of vintage tools, and the Brands Wall are a true testament — and we’re so thankful that we can share this history with our visitors to CM Farms. Touring the Homestead and the Antique Barn, as well as seeing the Brands Wall, are included in Farm Admission.
Restoration: Before and After
A few years ago, Jackie Melsheimer came into possession of the old house belonging to her great-great-grandparents — Archie and Jane Turner. It was about to be destroyed. She and her dad, Dwaine Horton, great-grandson of Archie and Jane, decided to move the house to CM Farms and restore it!
Turning Back the Clock …
Handsome young Archer Clark Redmond Turner was reported to have been standing not ten feet away from General Robert E. Lee at the surrender ceremony ending the Civil War. The young soldier returned home to his family in Calcasieu Parish, where he married neighbor (and possible childhood friend) Jane Gill. They built a home near Archy’s parents house, likely on land owned by Stephen and Mary Turner. This is the home where they raised children and farmed.
Many of the home’s original features were uncovered in the process of disassembling and moving. The dogtrot has been restored, and a kitchen (originally unattached to the main home) has been separated. Reportedly, at one point in the home’s history, the Turner family had hitched mules to the kitchen house and dragged it to the main house for attachment.
The dogtrot area houses a collection of Archy’s Civil War records and other family mementos.