Long before the chicken coop was built, Trimborn Farm had already played an important role in Milwaukee County's history. Beginning in the mid-1800s, the property was home to one of Wisconsin's largest lime-producing operations before later evolving into a working farm.
In 1938, as the Village of Greendale was taking shape, this historic chicken coop was constructed as part of the working farmstead at Trimborn Farm. The coop supported the daily operations of the property during a time when the farm played an important role in the development of the surrounding community.
Over the decades, Trimborn Farm served many purposes. It operated as a working farm, a dairy farm, a sod farm, a horseback riding stable, and even included a landing strip used for agricultural aviation.
In 1980, the Milwaukee County Park System acquired Trimborn Farm and began developing the property into a historic site with the help of The Park People, who started restoring, preserving, and interpreting the buildings. Through the ongoing stewardship of the Milwaukee County Historical Society, the property welcomes visitors through school tours, educational programming and a popluar fall craft fair each year.
A Rich History
Why Now?
Like many historic properties, however, Trimborn Farm faces the ongoing challenge of caring for aging buildings with limited public resources. Deferred maintenance has affected many of the site's historic structures, creating a growing need for community partnerships that can help preserve these spaces while returning them to active community use.
Today, Trimborn Farm is entering a new chapter—one that invites community partners to help preserve, activate, and care for this remarkable place for future generations.
A New Chapter Begins
While many areas of Trimborn Farm have continued to welcome visitors through educational programming and community events, this historic chicken coop quietly took on a different role. For decades, it remained boarded up and was used primarily as a storage building, while the purpose for which it was originally built faded into the background.
The Heritage Hen Collective was created to change that.
The next chapter of Trimborn Farm is being written through community partnership, and the Heritage Hen Collective is proud to help write one of its first pages by returning this historic chicken coop to its original purpose while creating new opportunities for education, stewardship, agriculture, and community connection.
More Than A Chicken Coop
The Heritage Hen Collective is about far more than caring for a flock of hens.
It is about creating opportunities for children to meet farm animals for the first time, for families to spend time together outdoors, for students to experience hands-on agricultural learning, and for community members to become active stewards of a historic place.
It is about demonstrating how thoughtful community partnerships can help preserve historic places while ensuring they continue to serve meaningful purposes for future generations.
The chicken coop simply happens to be where that story begins.
Looking Ahead
As the Heritage Hen Collective grows, so will the opportunities for our community to learn, volunteer, gather, and participate in the ongoing story of Trimborn Farm.
Every member, volunteer, sponsor, donor, and visitor becomes part of something much larger than a single building. Together, we're helping ensure that this historic place continues to educate, inspire, and connect people for generations to come.
One Historic Coop.
One Shared Flock.
One Community.
