The Burnham family story in America begins in 1635, when three brothers — John, Thomas, and Robert — sailed from Bristol, England on the Angel Gabriel, landing at Pemaquid, Maine before settling in Chebacco, Massachusetts. From there, the family spread through New England, and one branch moved to the Hartford–Hebron, Connecticut region. In 1815, two brothers from that line, Moses and Ellsworth Burnham, left Hebron and came west to Berlin Heights, Ohio, becoming the first Burnhams in what would later become our farm community.

The land itself originally belonged to the Tillinghast family. After the Revolutionary War, the Tillinghast homestead in Connecticut was burned, and the family received land in the Firelands of Ohio as part of the Western Reserve land grant. It wasn’t until 1826 that O.C. Tillinghast traveled to Ohio to clear the land and build the farmhouse that still stands today.

In the early 1900s, this property became part of the Burnham family when J.T. Burnham II married Margaret Tillinghast, who received the farm as a wedding gift from her father. Their son Oliver, while working full-time elsewhere, planted the first commercial orchard here: fourteen acres of apples and six acres of peaches. His passion set the course for everything to come.

About 40 years ago, Joseph Burnham III began operating the farm full-time and expanded the orchard into a modern fruit-growing operation focused on quality, new varieties, and welcoming the community to experience the farm. Today, the farm spans more than 1000 acres, including over 200 acres of apples and more than 35 acres of peaches. The Burnhams were also among the first to introduce Fuji apples to Ohio, and we continue to trial and plant new varieties that thrive in our climate.

Our family has always believed that the land is both inheritance and responsibility. Eight generations after the Burnhams arrived in America, and six generations into growing here in Berlin Heights, we are still tending the same soil, the same orchard hillsides, and the same farmhouse porch. We are committed to growing exceptional fruit, welcoming our neighbors, and preserving the legacy that brought our family here over two centuries ago.

We invite you to visit the orchard, breathe in the seasons, and taste the tradition that continues to grow here.