Goodell Homestead - Edinboro, PA - Homesteads on Waymarking.com

The following history about the family is from the website:

"Layton Goodell settled in Edinboro in 1832. He was a farmer, blacksmith, property owner and town burgess. He had six children with his wife, Mary.
One of those children was George Goodell, who was born in 1842. George bought his brother’s dry-goods store and converted it to a grocery store, which he operated until approximately 1912. In 1875, he purchased the farm that became known as the Goodell Farm. He and his wife, Nancy, had three children: Ned, Todd and Maude.
Todd was born in 1875, graduated from Edinboro Normal School and was a teacher for 12 years. He was also known for his horsemanship.
In 1907, Todd married Ella Parsons, and together they had five children. Carrie was born in 1908, Margaret in 1910, and they also had three sons that died soon after birth.
Todd farmed the property that is today known as Goodell Gardens & Homestead until 1954.
He and Ella began planting flowers and shrubs adjacent to the main house, which is now used as the welcome center, in the 1920s, and instilled their appreciation for horticulture in their daughters.

Carrie and Margaret Goodell were the daughters of Todd and Ella Parsons Goodell. Carrie was born in 1908, and Margaret was born in 1910.
They both spent nearly their entire lives living on the Goodell Farm. The Goodell sisters both graduated from Edinboro High School and went on to graduate from Edinboro State Teachers College in 1932. Carrie earned a masters degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh, while Margaret earned a masters degree from Northwestern University. Both sisters taught school and worked in a variety of businesses outside the home.
They emulated the appreciation of horticulture instilled in the by their parents, and continued the work of planting flowers and shrubs adjacent to the main house – currently used as the welcome center – which was begun by their parents in the 1920s. They continued to cultivate and expand their gardens, as well as their love of nature and study throughout their years, well into the 1970s.
During the early 1970s, Carrie and Margaret expressed their interest in, and worked toward finding a way to leave their property and horticultural legacy to the community for a place for the growing of trees, shrubs and flowering plants – a place where the general public could enjoy the wonders of nature.
Hard work and frugality allowed the sisters to realize that desire and they generously donated their estate to the Erie Community Foundation, which through a donor-advised letter of agreement led to the creation of Goodell Gardens & Homestead.
Through this decision by the sisters, Goodell Gardens & Homestead and the Edinboro community have been made stewards of 78 acres of green space in the Borough of Edinboro with a mandate to create a significant regional community resource. The site overlooks Edinboro Lake, is adjacent to Edinboro University and possesses access from both US Route 6N and State Route 99. The sisters also left us a vivid account of their lives on the Goodell Farm in their photos and diaries. Margaret took photos during a time spanning from the 1920s to the 1980s. Carrie kept a daily diary from 1944 until 1992.
With such historically-significant tools at our disposal combined with generous support from the community, Goodell Gardens & Homestead is slowly growing into the facility Carrie and Margaret had hoped it would."

About the homestead from the website:

"Located in the building that served as the Goodell Family home for many years, the Welcome Center and Gift Shop is situated near the main entrance to Goodell Gardens & Homestead. First built circa 1824, it was originally constructed as a single-room a doctor’s office for local physician E. J. Randall and although George Goodell purchased the building and the immediate property on which it was set in 1875, the building was not converted into a home until circa 1907, when George’s son (Carrie and Margaret’s father), Todd Goodell, moved into the building, renovated it to house his burgeoning family, and began farming the surrounding property."

Link to the Homestead: [Web Link] History if no Link: Public garden, Goodell heritage exhibits. Additional Parking or Point of Interest: N 41° 52.591 W 080° 07.445 Structure Type: Unknown

Visit Instructions:
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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/24/2016 emtfire10 visited it 08/22/2015 jonathanatpsu visited it 07/21/2012 The Goonies 7 visited it 07/15/2012 rclizmom visited it

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