About Us
History
Novelty Hill Farm is located just south of Duvall, where the town of Novelty once stood. Our farm is the only remaining landmark from that town, although it continues to show up on maps. Our family has owned the farm since the late 1800's. George and Emily Pickering purchased the farm from the original homesteader, Mr. Peets, in 1884.
The Town of Novelty
At it's height, the town of Novelty included a post office, church, store, dance hall, and hotel. Unfortunately, the old store and dance hall burned down in 1969.
Generations of Pickerings
The Pickering family raised dairy cattle and produced milk for three generations. Originally the cows were hand milked and the milk containers were picked up by riverboat on the Snoqualmie River. After they installed electricity, they began using milking machines. The cows were sold in 1963, but the family continued to farm on the side, raising many children, gardens, pigs, calves, horses, and llamas. Currently, members of the 5th, 6th, and 7th generation live on the farm!
Saving Our Barns
Built in 1932
Our beautiful barns are 85 years old and have survived aging, lack of use, floods, fire, human errors, and drainage issues. We sell pumpkins and trees to raise funds to preserve our barns.
The Dairy Barn
We received grant funds from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation as well as King County’s Historic Preservation Program to replace siding, rebuild doors, replace the foundation, and paint the Dairy Barn. The expense was great, and we matched and exceeded the amounts we received from grants. We bought a milling machine to mill the wood to match the original shiplap siding.
The Calf Barn
In 2019 we moved the Calf Barn to higher ground North of the Dairy Barn. We replaced the foundation and the bracing and siding where needed. This is a King County Archives photo from 1940, before a fire that destroyed the upper portion of the building.
The Calf Barn Restored
In Fall 2020 we were able to restore this beautiful building to its original form. We also insulated it and installed heating/A/C, so it can keep people comfortable year round. It made a great "one-room school house" for our kids during the pandemic. Now, it houses our farm store seasonally, and is open for rentals too!
Why "Novelty Hill" Farm?
Because... that is where we are located!
Our farm spans both hillside and valley floor. The hillside is named Novelty Hill, because the town of Novelty used to be located at our farm. Some confusion arose many years ago, and it is not totally clear why. The twisty road ascending Union Hill (across the valley from us) became known as "Novelty Hill Road." We wonder if the road was once Redmond-Novelty Road (as many roads connecting two cities are called) and it slowly evolved into just "Novelty Hill Road." Whatever the origin, the actual Novelty Hill is underneath our feet, and is the reason we chose this name for our farm.