Upon the arrival of Timothy (1797-1859) and Harriet Garfield from Vermont in 1841, all that stood at the present location of Garfield Farm was a log house which had been built by Sam Culverson in 1836. Thanks to the location of their modest residence at the junction of the Chicago, St. Charles, Sycamore, and State Roads, the Garfields soon began to attract travelers. The little log house served as a hotel and tavern until it became too small.

Timothy Garfield, with the help of Bryant Durant, built a new brick building in 1846. All the bricks were made from local clay in surrounding fields. The ten-room building offered travelers and the Garfields better quarters. The house had no fireplaces; it relied on stoves for heat. Garfield also built movable partitions on the second floor, which allowed for a large space for Saturday evening balls.

During the inn’s heyday, travelers paid 37.5 cents for a night's lodging, a meal, and feed for a traveler's horse. Meals consisted of salt pork, potatoes, beans, corn bread, and coffee. Sixty-four people once spent the night at the log tavern, quickly paying off any debts that the Garfields had accrued. The march of progress eventually put an end to the Garfield's business--the flow of travelers virtually ceased with the expansion of the railroad to the area in 1849. The successful family farm supported the family after the inn closed.

It seems that Garfield Farm was destined to become an historical landmark. Hannah Garfield, the wife of Timothy and Harriet's son, Robert, remarked in the 1890s that the farm should be preserved to honor early settlers. Hannah's youngest daughter, Elva, set out to fulfill her mother's wish.

While the farm was rented out for many years, following the family's move to Chicago, Elva made sure that there were no alterations made. She also saved family items, which ranged from photographs, furniture, and farm implements, to diaries. Prior to her death in 1977, Elva donated a portion of the farm to start the Garfield Farm Museum. It opened as a living history museum in 1977. Together, Campton Historic Agricultural Lands, Inc. and the Garfield Heritage Society continue to work on restoration of the buildings and further land acquisition.

Today, the farm offers an opportunity to experience 1840s life and period methods of farming, transportation, and trade. The brick building and several out buildings are being restored or rebuilt, giving visitors an authentic image of life on Garfield farm.