The Wilder home is the only Little House structure still standing on its original site. It has been painstakingly restored to how it would have been when the Wilders occupied it in the 1800’s. Some of the household artifacts were found on the site during archeological digs. Many others were donated by area families. It’s interesting to note that during restoration, a black mark was found on the parlor wall, believed to be the result of Almanzo’s blacking brush accident, as described in Farmer Boy.
The barns have been reconstructed, with architectural plans guided by the sketches Almanzo made for Laura. Some have speculated that the original Big Barn might have been incorporated into another barn that was destroyed by lightning in 1967. The original foundations of the side barns were discovered during digs by archaeology students from SUNY Potsdam. The stones from those foundations were used in the foundations of the Big Barn and South Barn.
In addition to the barns, pump house, and henhouse, the most recent addition is the replica one room schoolhouse, which was constructed according to original plans found for other schoolhouses in existence in rural northern New York in the 19th century. A belfry will be added soon to complete the project.
Future plans include the construction of additional buildings, such as an icehouse and outhouse.
