Carter Hill is named after Ezekiel Carter Hill in the West Parish of Concord. This area of Concord is simply known as West Concord now but the old Parish lives on in the road which runs along the southern edge of the Orchard, West Parish Road.

This timeline, which chronicles the orchard's ownership from 1740-1928, was drawn on the back of a yellowed edition of the "Ortho Field News." We believe former owners Paul or Mary Farnum drew it. Click on the image for a larger picture.

Ezekiel’s nephew Ezra Carter who settled the orchard on Carter Hill in 1760-70 with his wife Phebe Whittmore of Pembroke (the family tree has Rhoda Whittmore married to Ezra, however Rhoda married Reuben Abbott I whose house is just up the road from Carter Hill Orchard).Ezra was the first physician in Concord and was the father of twelve children. The second child and eldest son was Timothy Carter (b. 1767), later known as Squire Timothy. Sq. Timothy married Judith Chandler. Together they had four children. The eldest son Abiel Carter inherited the orchard. Abiel and his wife Patty Farnum had five children. The orchard was passed down to their daughter Martha Carter who married Bill Thompson. Around 1895 Bill sold the Carter family orchard to Brothers Caleb and George Little. George bought out his brother Caleb and then sold the orchard to brothers Robert and Paul Farnum in 1928. In 1972 the Farnum brothers sold the orchard to Sunnycrest Inc, who owned an apple orchard out of Londonderry New Hampshire.

Rob Larocque in his "Naturely in New Hampshire" apron, selling what was then Sunnycrest Farm apples at the Concord Farmer's Market, 1980.

Sunnycrest operated the farm in Concord for 29years under the management of Robert Larocque (1972 to 2001). In 2001 the Larocque family purchased the orchard from Sunnycrest with help form friends and neighbors and also funds from federal and state preservation projects. The Larocque’s changed the orchard’s name to Carter Hill Orchard after the hill on which the farm resides.

In 1999 Sunnycrest made the difficult decision to sell the orchard.  Rob and Annette knew that they wanted to purchase the orchard; but could not manage to purchase the farm on their own. With the help of the Federal and State Government, the Trust for Public Land, close friends, neighbors, and even kind strangers, Rob and Annette were able to purchase the Orchard in 2001 renaming the farm Carter Hill Orchard. The land has been put into public trust -- it will always be an orchard or open space. Learn more about this successful public-private partnership to save open space and local agriculture here.

In 2001 the Larocque family purchased the orchard from Sunnycrest with help form friends and neighbors and also funds from federal and state preservation projects. The Larocque’s changed the name to Carter Hill after the hill on which the farm resides.