Mistletoe Christmas Tree Farm

Stow was settled near 1650 or so. The Farmhouse at 149 Whitman Street was build 'sometime in the late 1700s', the exact year is not known. The home, a post-and-beam structure, has classic horsehair walls and the old bathrooms/outhouse with the hand-carved wooden toilet seats still exist (although are no longer in use!). The Farm was actively worked over the 19th century, and at some time in the early 1900s was purchased by the Frost/Priest family.

Stow lies in what is now known as "The Nashoba Fruit Belt." For many years apples, as well as pears and other fruits, have been sold in large quantities. In season, trucks were carting apples into Boston, Worcester and New York City. Before the World War, apples from Stow were shipped to England by some of our big fruit growers. Jonathan Priest was the pioneer in apple culture; the orchards were planted by him, including the apple trees that still exist on the hill known as Birch Hill (the location of Mistletoe Christmas Tree Farm).

Fruit Acres Farm, owned by the Frost Family, was, after World War II, the largest apple farm, having 4000 apple trees; the current barn was the center of the Farm, with refrigerated storage and cork-lined walls to keep the apples cooler on those warmer Fall days. Fruit Acres pre-dated the Honey Pot Orchard that is located next door.

In the 1970s the Frost family sold their first parcel of land to a developer and the Birch Hill 'estates' were built; subsequently the family sold off other parcels to developers, and the Robert Road development was established as well as Apple Blossom lane a short time later. There are many old apple trees still to be found in these developments, some of those trees over 100 years old.