Farm History

Cradled by large old trees and filled with hidden treasures to explore, Bittersweet Farm is one of the last remaining farms in East Greenwich. Boasting a rich and proud history. Its first buildings were built in 1752. Originally known as Eldredge Farm, for its owner Mrs. Lucius Eldredge and family, the farm was donated to serve during the early 1930s as a preschool facility for Rocky Hill Day School, catering to just ten students. Mrs. Eldredge, a philanthropist, who loved children and respected the work of Rocky Hill’s founder. Dorothy Knott Marshall, gifted the property, perhaps with the hope that its use would benefit and nourish the minds and hearts of children well beyond her years.

It would seem that Mrs. Eldredge’s wish may finally be realized as the current owners, the Shatkin family, have been thoughtfully renovating the farm since they purchased it in 2007. Although in grave disrepair at the time, it was love at first sight for Mrs. Shatkin who recognized its potential and immediately began breathing new life into the neglected and abandoned sleeping giant. Today, her hope is to return it to a place where children and adults can lose themselves in nature, explore, discover, and learn while enjoying themselves in a secure, protective, and caring environment.