Maple Crest Farm History and Agricultural Benefits

Beautiful Maple Crest Farm, at 102 Moulton Street, West Newbury, MA,  has been in the Elwell family since 1917. The historical farmhouse dates back to 1729.

John and Carol Elwell, retired educators, have always wanted to keep the farm in the family and the family on the farm. To that end, they have invested heavily in keeping the crops thriving and engaging their children and grandchildren. 

Maple Crest Farm is located at 102 Moulton Street in West Newbury, MA, overlooking the beautiful Indian Hill Reservoir.  Maple Crest's primary crops are Christmas tress, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. We added, sunflowers, pumpkins and gourds in 2020.


Cutting your own Christmas Tree has environmental benefits!
We replace every tree sold with at least two new trees, which reduces pollution and provides a habitat for wildlife.  We plant approximately 1,000 seedling trees annually, which will take 8 -12 years to develop to full size. 

Christmas tree farms help to prevent over-development of land and provide a beautiful landscape. By cutting your own tree at a local farm, you support local agriculture and reduce transportation emissions from harvesting and transporting trees from elsewhere. 
Best of all, it's a fun family activity!
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​​Planting Updates:    Our 2023 planting season was a busy one!
The newly planted strawberries and blueberries will hopefully begin producing berries next year. While blueberry plants will produce berries for 25 years or more,  strawberry plants are only good for picking in years 2, 3, &  4.  After that they have to be plowed up and not planted back in those beds for 3 or 4 years.
 The Christmas tree seedlings planted this year will not be ready until after 2032 at the earliest, which proves that, ​at my age, I am an optimist!

Christmas Trees

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We look forward to seeing new and returning guests enjoy the traditional Christmas Tree experience at our farm. We have a great selection of trees in four fields (Canaan, Douglas, Concolor, Fasier, Balsam), some over 10 feet.
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We provide saws, sleds, and twine and will wrap your tree for you. *We accept cash and local check.

Additional Services

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  • ​Our crops include Christmas trees, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and pumpkins. ​
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  • We host small groups in our pavilion. ​
  • We currently host 2 small outdoor schools.
  • Call us to talk about a school visit  to learn more about the environment, farming, and how to create a sustainable earth. 
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Maple Crest Farm Prints by ​artist Tricia Mansfield

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Maple Crest Farm
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Maple Syrup Time

                                                                More Maple Crest History:

Albert Elwell (August 27, 1867- Nov 21, 1959) and his family purchased the farm and the 1729 farmhouse in 1917 and walked their dairy cows up, over several days, from Essex, MA. Albert and his wife, Edith D. Jones Elwell (1872-1956), had 5 children and 6 grandchildren: Edith (Norma), Alice, Albert E. (Nancy and Richard), Arthur (Bob and Pat), and Charles (John).  Albert's grandson, John C. Elwell and his wife Carol Kane Elwell are retired educators, who now run the farm with their families support.

While now about 35 acres, at its largest, Maple Crest was approximately 180 acres. In the late 1970's, The City of Newburyport predicated a need for additional water supply and purchased about 80 acres to build the Indian Hill Reservoir that the farm overlooks.  Before its split, Maple Crest Farm included all the land for the reservoir, property on both sides of Brickett Street, and east on Moulton Street. The original 19th century rock walls still make up many of the land boundaries.

For much of the 1900's, Maple Crest was mostly a cow and turkey farm with a chicken hatchery, pigs, sheep, horses, and all the fruits and vegetables the family needed. In the 1970's and 80's, Albert E. Elwell was known for his vegetables and strawberries at local and Boston markets. He also served as a State Representative. By the 1990's the elder relatives were needing care themselves. 

With the goal of "keeping the farm in the family and the family on the farm" John and Carol took over the farm in the late 1990's and planted their first Christmas tree and strawberry plants in 2002, the year their first grandchild, Aidan, was born. Since then, they plant new trees and strawberries annually and have expanded to include blueberries, raspberries, sunflowers, pumpkins, and gourds. They also compost leaves from the local community.

With the help of family and a supportive community, the Elwell's have worked to make Maple Crest a multi-functional, outdoor destination for families, photographers, and educational groups. Their son, Kane built a beautiful post and beam pavilion in 2018, which is available to book for outdoor functions and field trip groups. Starting in 2020, Maple Crest hosts two local school groups for outdoor learning.
 
The Elwell family supports community conservation efforts, as well as educational and addiction recovery initiatives. John sits on the board of ACES, and they donate annually to several local education foundations and to the Pelican Fund. They support the Pentucket Arts Foundation by hosting the annual Terror Trail every October.

Contact John to book your next unique outdoor farm event!  johnelwell@verizon.net or 508-641-5955