Every farm has a story, and at Wiggly Goat Farm, one of our richest storytellers isn’t a person—it’s our barn. Built in the late 1700s by the Spaulding family, this structure has stood through centuries of change in Panton and Addison County.

Rebuilt after the Revolutionary War, the barn rose from the ashes of loss to become the heart of what was once a 100-acre working farm. Since then, it has endured agricultural booms and busts—from the “Merino Mania” of the early 1800s to the rise of Vermont dairy farming in the 20th century. Today, it remains both a practical space and a piece of living history.

To share that story, we have created a 3-part blog series:

• Part 1: Salvaging and Saving the Barn – How we cleared decades of clutter, uncovered historic treasures, repaired rotted sills, and stabilized the frame.
• Part 2: The Gunstock Frame: An Enduring Barn Style – A closer look at the architectural tradition of gunstock timber framing and what it reveals about 18th-century craftsmanship.
• Part 3: A Barn in the Story of Addison County – How our barn connects to local history, from Revolutionary War rebuilding to the Merino sheep boom and the rise of Vermont dairy.

As we’ve learned, a barn is more than beams and boards. It’s a witness to the people, traditions, and economies that shaped Vermont. We invite you to follow along as we uncover the layers of history held within these walls.

To learn more about the Spaulding family and their long history in Panton, read our earlier post: Discover the 177-Year History of the Spaulding Family in Panton, Vermont.