Meetinghouse Farm has a historic link to West Barnstable’s agricultural past. The site was part of a large land grant given to Deacon William Crocker in 1653.  Local Historian Martin Wirtanen has written, “The Crocker Family were mainstays of the village, successfully farming several hundred acres and generations of the families were involved in the social, political and religious affairs of the village.  “

Records indicate members of the Paine family probably built a residence on the site in the mid to late 1700’s. The land and house ownership included:

Pre-1808-Thomas Black from Matthew Paine
1808 - Calvin Backus from Thomas Black
1846 - Silas F. Jones from Calvin Backus
1846 - Calvin Backus from Silas F. Jones
1865 - Lydia Backus from Calvin Backus
1865 - Betsy Backus from Lydia Backus
1879 - Herman C. Fish from Betsy W. Backus
          Fred Jenkins from Herman and Mary Fish Date unknown
1938 - Fred Conant and Ruth Jenkins Conant from Fred Jenkins

The knoll between the two entrances of the Conant property was the site of the Parsonage of the Rev. Jonathan Russell, 2nd pastor of West Parish (1712-1760).  This would have been the first parsonage associated with the 1717 Meetinghouse.