Over 50 years ago, Louis Northup purchased a property that would grow to become his business and his passion. As his family grew, so did his ambition and with each cleared field, his vision became a reality. Coined Tavern Stables, a place you could hitch your steed while you refreshed yourself at the adjacent tavern, he created a local horse boarding and riding facility where he and his family could develop and share their newfound love for all things horses. As the years passed, his family worked to form trails in the neighboring parks and expanded their programming to offer lessons and trail rides. Beloved for the shady pasture and careful consideration paid to each guest, Tavern Stables grew to become a fixture in North Kingstown and Louie, as many called him, came to be a well respected and trusted gentleman farmer.
Well known for his love and appreciation for gardening, Louie maintained several beautiful roadside rose bushes while he grew his adjacent business, the Oak Hill Tavern. Meanwhile, the next era of leaders emerged to manage the daily operations of Tavern Stables. Over the next three decades, Tavern Stables would grow to host hundreds of riding lessons, youth summer camps and dozens of boarders as it maintained the reputation Louie had created and remained steadfast as the town of North Kingstown evolved around it.
During his lifetime, Louie made a positive impact on countless South County residents in quite the array of methods. For some it was a 10 minute delivery of a load of compost, followed of course by a 45 minute conversation. For others it was a quick stop to pet the horses who called the front field home throughout the summer months. Louie was a people person and could talk you to death if you let him...something, many say, his grandson inherited.
In 2017, after Lou´s passing in 2016, his grandson Jacob and his wife Kerry purchased the family property with hopes to revitalize the legacy Louie had created. Putting family first and honoring the values set forth by prior generations, Jake and Kerry have re-branded the farm to represent a more diverse reach and have coined their vision Northup Acres. While they plan to still offer horse boarding and riding, they also hope to offer other farm-styled experiences such as a petting zoo, gardening and homestead programs, an artisan/farmer markets and more.
In 2021, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, like many others, the Northups added chickens to their family. In this act, another venture was born and has become a main component of the Northup Acres brand. The SHOP @ Northup Acres was created and offers farm-styled and rustic carpentry and woodworking. Since then, Northup Acres has helped dozens of fellow homesteaders with homes for their flock, enclosures for their animals, containers for their plants and vegetables and more. The SHOP serves as a homesteading solutions type of service and aims to help with the planning and preparation of living the homestead lifestyle.
As our family grows, so does our vision. In time, we hope to be open to the public for tours, events and other opportunities for people to experience and enjoy the lifestyle we´ve created for ourselves. Or in fact, the lifestyle that Louie instilled in us many years ago.
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