Glove Hollow Christmas Tree Farm

In 1773 the original 9-room farm house, known as the Intervale House, was built down on the floodplain next to the Pemigewasset River. The Ahern family, comprised of contractors and farmers, purchased the 300+ acre farm in 1897. Soon after the purchase, they moved the farm house to higher ground to its current location along Route 3. In 1912 an addition was built onto the main house which provided extra rooms to rent to vacationers. Tourists came from the city to experience life on the farm, which was a trend at that time. Molly and Ned, the farm horses, took the tourists on excursions around the Squam Lakes. Ned with his sleigh even made an appearance in movie around 1928.

In the early 1900s the Aherns purchased an additional 25-acre parcel of land on the north end of the farm. Located on the site was a small pond, a waterfall and a brook, which later became known as Glove Hollow Brook. It was here, on or before 1811, that Capt. James Hobart, recognizing the potential of the waterfall had built under one roof, both a grist and saw mill. In 1856 Thomas Glynn purchased the water power and introduced a circular saw there, an invention that revolutionized the lumber industry.

Omer Ahern, the third-generation owner, along with his father operated a dairy farm with milk routes in Plymouth and Ashland. Omer also operated his own construction business with one of the first tractor backhoes in the area. He continued these pursuits until 1956 when he was appointed the Assistant Administrator of the Sullivan County Home in Unity, NH. The following year Omer planted the first Christmas trees, mostly balsam fir and white spruce and operated the farm as a Christmas tree plantation. In 1971 he sold his first retail and wholesale trees. It was the same year that the farm became known as Glove Hollow Tree Farm, taking the name from the low hollow area adjacent to the farm. (It was here in the early 1900s that some of the finest leather gloves in the United States were manufactured by the Draper-Maynard Co.) Both Omer and wife Rosa retired as co-administrators of the Sullivan County Home in 1984 at which time they retired to the farm and started their choose-and-cut operation. Omer Sr passed away in June of 2008, Rosa followed him less than a year later in January of 2009. Their son Michael and his family are the fourth generation of Aherns to farm and own the property and are proud to carry on the tradition.