Agricultural Heritage Barn

The Agricultural Heritage Barn provides visitors with an agricultural experience year-round and the opportunity to learn more about the Mahaffies’ prosperous Civil War era farm.

• View nineteenth century farm implements and horse-drawn vehicles used on the Mahaffie farm today,
  • an original “mudwagon” style of stagecoach built between 1850 and 1875,
  • a late 1860s reaper for cutting wheat,
  • reproductions of a prairie schooner, chuck or “mess” wagon,
  • Concord style of stagecoach.
    Stagecoach rides are part of daily operations on Spring and Fall weekends, and Wednesdays thru Saturdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
• Discover more details about oxen, horses, and other livestock, and their importance on a 19th century farm.

• View videos of seasonal 1860s activities such as cutting ice, plowing, threshing, and harvesting.

In October of 2012, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm received a donation from long-time benefactor and Foundation member, Maron Moore, of Olathe, Kansas. Mrs. Moore’s personal donation funded the design and construction of this impressive facility. A grant from the Johnson County Heritage Trust fund provided for the animal stalls, graphics, and interpretive panels found inside the barn.

“The previous barn was built sometime in the mid-twentieth century and was badly in need of extensive repairs” This significant donation allows us to replace that barn that no longer meets the needs of our animals and programming. We are extremely grateful for the continued support of Mrs. Moore. Her donation will allow us to continue to expand on our mission to engage visitors with hands on experiences of 1860s farming, frontier life, and stagecoach travel while preserving the nationally significant Mahaffie story.”

Tim Talbott, Site Manager, October, 2012 – Mrs. Moore passed away in December, 2015.

While not a replica of a nineteenth century barn, the exterior is in keeping with the historic landscape of Mahaffie.

• The new barn provides much needed housing for the Mahaffie livestock, and connects visitors to the living history programming and agricultural themes of the site.
• Visitors can better engage with the animals, enjoy an opportunity for year-round learning, and discover the nineteenth century farm implements and horse-drawn vehicle.