Camelot Village - A Short History

In the late 1700's a wealthy New York City family, the Colgates, acquired the lands upon which Camelot Village sits, plus several hundred adjoining acres. Originally named "Ben Venue", Scotch for "good welcome", it was used as a farm and summer family residence. We are home to over 145 dealers and occupy just over 13,500 square feet of a multi barn complex that totals over 25,000 square feet of retail space. Check out our connection to the Titanic by clicking on About Us. Here you also find links and information about the other country shops that make the Village a destination for many of our customers.

In 1892, James C. Colgate founded Fillmore Farms and began raising prizewinning Dorset sheep. The farm quickly earned a world famous reputation for the quality of its livestock. In 1912, to further improve the bloodlines Colgate sent his livestock superintendent, C.C. Jones, to southern England to purchase the finest Dorset horned sheep he could find.

Colgate took pride in treating his employees well. In doing so he purchased a first-class return ticket for Jones - on the S.S. Titanic. On April 10, 1912, Jones boarded that fateful ship and perished along with hundreds of others. Jones is buried in Bennington Center Cemetery. His headstone reads: "Charles Cresson Jones. Died April 15, 1912 in the wreck of the S.S. Titanic. The road leads home."

In 1927, James S. Dennis, son-in-law of James Colgate, took over management of Fillmore Farms and established an Ayrshire cattle herd. The operation now included 15 farms with 3,000 plus acres. The agricultural enterprise produced quality dairy, pork, poultry and maple syrup products.

Through the years, the farmland was divided and sold. In 1946, a large portion of the original acreage was separated, sold to Colgate's employees and renamed Fairdale Farms. The sale included 350 head of dairy cattle - mostly registered Ayrshires - 700 acres of land, four barns and a milk processing plant.

The smaller and original Hubbell Homestead - the name given to Fillmore Farms nucleus - was retained by the Colgate family and included the 90-acre parcel and barns now known as Camelot Village. The Farmhouse, currently a deli located in front of the complex, was originally the farm manager's office.

Colgate died in 1942, and his widow lived at Ben Venue until her death in 1955. The farm then went to James Colgate Jerome who, for a while, raised Ayrshire cattle. In 1964, he sold it to Peter and Mary Ann Schaad. A veterinarian, Schaad converted what was a livestock barn currently Camelot's Craft Center, into an animal hospital and clinic. His wife used the older barns as a furniture and gift store that she named "Camelot Village."

The complex was again sold in 1986 to its current owners, Brian Lewis and Robert Newsome. The new partners converted the furniture portion of the barn into an antique center. Several of the independent businesses, notably Occasional Flowers, continued with the new owners. In 1993, The Craft Center opened