Dorey Barn

Description

c. 1920. Henrico County Historic Preservation Program. HP 81.

The Dorey family operated a dairy farm until 1966. The 400-acre property consisted of a farmhouse, dairy barn, bunkhouse, tenant farmer house, chicken house, springhouse, several silos, and a smaller dairy barn. The Dorey Barn reflects a new era of dairy farming following the introduction of pasteurization, which led to an to increased milk supply and demand. This more modern barn design allowed for the elimination of multiple structures. The gambrel roof construction provided loft space for hay storage, while the multiple side windows with improved ventilation provided better housing for the herd. The concrete aisle down the center of the main floor allowed greater ease for milking. The barn and silos are constructed of glazed concrete block.

Historical Timeline

1880s – There are 2,181 milk cows in Henrico County
Early 1900s – Francis Frederick Dorey, his wife, Sarah Ellen Rose moved with their eight children from Barron County, Wisconsin to Henrico, Virginia.
1923 – Virginia State Department of Agriculture designates Henrico the “dairy county of Virginia.”
1923 – Fred Orwin Dorey, youngest son of Frances and Sarah Ellen, married Belle Ferguson and together they raised six children at the Dorey homestead.
1966 – Dorey Farm, also known as Springbrook Dairy, ceased operation.
1979 – Belle Ferguson Dorey sells the property to Henrico County.
1992 – Dorey Recreation Center, formerly a dairy barn, opens to the public.