Cinder Ridge Farm
Our Farm
Preserving Early American Homesteads
Welcome to Cinder Ridge Farm
An 1800s historical farm located in Surry County, North Carolina—dedicated to preserving and recreating early American homesteads through the restoration of original log structures from the time period.
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For over a decade, Joe Snow has been collecting and restoring 1800s log structures in Surry County. These historic buildings have been carefully relocated to Cinder Ridge Farm to preserve our region’s heritage and share it with the community.
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The farm features three complete homesteads—each representing a slice of 19th-century life—with more restorations currently in progress. Alongside these buildings, we also raise historic breeds of livestock to offer a fully immersive experience.
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Every year, we host an Annual Harvest Festival, a free community event that brings the farm to life with historical demonstrations, a traditional chicken stew, and a covered dish lunch.
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Cinder Ridge Farm relies on donations to continue preserving history, building new exhibits, and offering educational opportunities. We’re proud to welcome field trips, host a summer camp, and celebrate the season with an Old-Fashioned Christmas.
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Help us keep history alive—right here in Surry County.
Our Story
Preserving Family History
The Snow family has a long history of farming in Surry County, no matter which family branch you follow. Both the Cockerham and Thompson sides of the family have been in Surry County since the 1700s. The Cockerham side goes back to the early 1600s. Colonel William Cockerham from Devonshire England was a ship captain who carried people and livestock to the James Town Colony in Virgina, where he settled and started a family. The Devon cows that we have on Cinder Ridge were also from Devonshire, England, and were the first breed of cows to come to the colonies in 1623. While we don’t have a record of Devon cattle being on the ship that William Cockerham captioned, it’s easy to assume that they were. Melissa’s family history in this area goes back even further. Her great-grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee. Most of the Cherokee villages were situated along streams in scattered areas throughout the Appalachian Mountains. Joe and Melissa have always had a passion for farming and local history and enjoy sharing it with others. This passion is evident in the way that they have built and shared Cinder Ridge Farm.
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“God has blessed us as a family and has put so many people and resources in our path to help us build this historical farm. We are very thankful for all the people and blessings, and hope to continually grow and share Cinder Ridge.”
-Joe and Melissa Snow
