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Manske-Niemann Farm

Historic district
In Litchfield, Illinois
0.6 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

Covering 462 acres in Litchfield, IL, just off the old road, the Manske-Niemann Farm stands as a well-preserved German immigrant farmstead. Michael Manske bought it in 1863, and his family built it up in three stages over the next half century. The farm is private, so any look is from the public road only. It joined the National Register in 2003.

What is Manske-Niemann Farm?

The farm shows how one family's operation changed over time. The earliest stage, from the 1860s and 1870s, gave it the first farmhouse, a tall home only one room deep, a type common in the Midwest, along with a horse barn and a smokehouse. In the 1890s came a granary, a corncrib, a cow barn and other buildings as the crops and animals shifted. The early 1900s added a third barn, many sheds for animals and feed, and structures for machines, such as a car shed and a gas pump.

History of Manske-Niemann Farm

The farm was probably started in the 1850s. Michael Manske, an immigrant from Germany, bought it in 1863, and it stayed in the family; as of 2002 it belonged to his great-great-granddaughter, Ophelia Niemann. It was placed on the National Register in 2003.

Visiting Manske-Niemann Farm: tips

This is private family land, so do not drive onto the property; view what you can from the public road and respect the owners. The Belvidere Café, Motel, and Gas Station is about 2.3 miles away and the Ariston Cafe about 2.8 miles, and the Soulsby Service Station is about 5.4 miles off.