Kentucky Gate at Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA
Posted by: 
bctrail
N 42° 38.975 W 070° 51.678
19T E 347426 N 4723582
An operational farm fence gate you can open and close without dismounting from your horse, located on Appleton Farms, Ipswich, Massachusetts.
Waymark Code: WM6H6Q
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 06/04/2009
Views: 7
Located on historic
Appleton Farms (658 acres), this is surely a one-of-a kind, or nearly so. This gate provides entrance from one of the Farm roads into the 133 acre "Great Pasture". Horseback riding has been a passionate activity at the Farm for well over 100 years, and a gate which you could open, pass through, and close behind you, all without dismounting from your horse, was a great asset.
The Trustees of Reservations, owners of the Farms, have posted a sign near the gate which reads as follows:
"Kentucky Gate
"Inventor William D. Miller of Raywick, Kentucky received US Patent 1,131,408 for this "new and useful improvement in gates" on March 9, 1915. The style became known as a "Kentucky Gate". The design enables riders to open and close the gate from either side of the fence without dismounting. The counterweight mechanism locks the gate behind the departing horseman, keeping cattle in the pasture.
"When a person on either side of the gate pulls the rope, the inner ends of the levers are elevated, which in turn raise the link and lift the counterweight, permitting the gate to swing. After the gate has been opened and the rider has passed through, the gate can be closed by tilting the lever or by pulling the rope on the opposite side.
"This gate, the last surviving Kentucky Gate on Appleton Farms, was completely rebuilt and restored as a community service project during summer 2001 by members of the Hamilton-Wenham and the Ipswich Rotary Clubs. Funding was provided by the clubs and by generous neighbors."
The Kentucky Gate can be reached by well maintained trails from either of the two visitor parking areas: one on
Highland Street just north of the Cutler Road intersection, and one at
the corner of Waldingfield Road and Route 1A. Be sure to get a trail map, either from the web sites above, or at the parking area. There are many more waymarks on the Farms property. See the "Nearest Waymarks" link near the bottom of this page. There are also at least four geocaches. Enjoy the "Farms". Its a great place to visit.