About Us
History
Novelty Hill Farm is located just south of Duvall, where the town of Novelty once stood. This farm is the only remaining landmark from that town, although it still shows up on maps. Our family has proudly owned and operated the farm since the late 1800s, when George and Emily Pickering purchased it from the original homesteader, Mr. Peets, in 1884.
The Town of Novelty
At its height, the town of Novelty once included a post office, church, store, dance hall, and hotel. It was also a stop on the train that ran between Carnation and Duvall. Over the decades, the businesses closed and the old store and dance hall burned down in 1969. Today, a traffic roundabout sits where the town used to be.
Generations of Pickerings
The Pickering family raised dairy cattle and produced milk for three generations. Originally, the cows were milked by hand, and the milk containers were picked up by riverboat on the Snoqualmie River. After electricity was installed, the family transitioned to using milking machines and the milk was transported by trucks. The cows were finally sold in 1963, however the family continued to raise many children, gardens, pigs, calves, horses, and llamas. Today, members of the 4th, 5th, and 6th generation continue to live and work on the farm!
Saving Our Barns
Built in 1932
Our beautiful barns are 94 years old and have withstood the test of time. They have survived aging, lack of use, floods, fire, human errors, and drainage issues. We sell pumpkins and trees to raise funds to preserve the the barns and the farm land!
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 the siding, rebuild doors, replace the foundation, and paint the Dairy Barn. The expense was significant, and we matched and exceeded the amounts we received from grants. We even bought a milling machine to mill the wood to match the original shiplap siding.
The Calf Barn
In 2019, we relocated the Calf Barn to higher ground north of the Dairy Barn. We replaced the foundation, bracing, and siding where needed. This King County Archives photo from 1940 captures the building before a fire in the 1960s that destroyed the upper portion of the barn.
The Calf Barn Restored
In Fall 2020, we were thrilled to restore this beautiful building . We insulated it and installed heating & A/C to ensure comfort year-round. During the pandemic, it served as a wonderful 'one-room school house' for our kids. Now, it houses seasonal events and is available for rentals as well!
WHY "Novelty Hill" Farm?
Because... that is where we are located!
Our Duvall 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 regarding the farm history, 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, honoring the Pickering family legacy.