Our Story
Cold Spring Farm is a family owned and operated business in every aspect. Diane Loudon and her husband Alan Loudon purchased the ~280 acre property in 2003. Diane was transferred to Laconia, NH for her then career. This fortuitous move, although challenging at the time as change always is, was the beginning of our amazing family journey.
The property was raw and had just been logged when we bought it. It was five years before we were able to build the barn. The house was finished (enough to move into) in 2010. (it’s never really finished, is it?)
Everything here today is something we built ourselves (with help of course from some amazing friends, family, and a few awesome contractors over the years.) Alan was an incredible carpenter with an amazing vision. From the very start of this dream, we pulled from every corner of our village to help us make it a reality. Our kids came on the weekends from college to help frame out the house, put in floors, drywall, and everything else. Our families helped us raise the barn walls, landscape, establish trail systems and haul wood from the forest. This place was truly built by the love of our village, and we are eternally grateful.
Kids grew and got older, got married and started adult lives. Grandchildren were born and Alan passed away and with each significant event the roots to this special place deepened.
Daughter Sarah returned to the farm after Alan passed and Diane retired from the corporate world. In need of projects to help us walk through our grief, we began to finish many of the half-done projects around the farm together. The idea that we were finishing what he had started allowed us to continue to collaborate with him even though he was no longer earth-side.
The kernel of an idea took hold when we found ourselves trying to describe the feeling that keeps pulling us back here and wanting to be present on this land. This space is sacred to us. Cold Spring Farm has been home to so many of our family’s meaningful moments. Building and growth, love and union, loss and grief; this land has held us through it all.
We felt it was important to honor that by finding a meaningful way to share that feeling and this space with others. In an effort to bring this vision forth - we set out on the journey of finishing the barn to become a space for others’ special events.
We proposed our concept to the Town of Alton and were met with positive responses even though we were being approved at the onset of COVID. Perseverance prevailed, and we managed to book and safely execute six small weddings that year. We learned so much, and so our growth began!
Today, members of four generations of our family reside on the property, and we hope to continue our business and stewardship of this land for many more to come.
