Faeth Farmstead and Orchard District

The Faeth Farmstead is a historic orchard district in Fort Madison with multiple buildings, structures, and facilities that supported fruit growing operations. The property includes storage buildings, processing houses, and specialized structures needed for producing and preserving apples and other fruit.

German immigrants Jacob and Elizabeth Faeth founded this farm in 1842, establishing the foundation for a long history of fruit production in the area. The location also became a waypoint for Mormon travelers passing through after leaving their settlement in Illinois.

The orchards show how families in this region grew and sold fruit over many generations. You can see how the trees and buildings together formed a working community connected to the land.

The site is best explored on foot to see how the different buildings and orchards relate to each other across the property. Visitors should expect uneven terrain and historic structures that show signs of continuous use over many decades.

The property contains one of the oldest continuously operating orchards west of the Mississippi River, preserving generations of fruit-growing methods and land management. This orchard demonstrates how agricultural practices and land stewardship have endured without interruption across more than one hundred years.