The Cockayne Farm was at one time an internationally recognized Merino wool-producing farm in what is now Glen Dale, W.Va. The 19th century Cockayne family members were social, political and agricultural leaders in the community. Samuel A. J. Cockayne, a lifelong Glen Dale resident and a descendent of an early pioneer to the area, died in November 2001. In his will, he bequeathed his aging 1850s farmhouse and its immense collection to Glen Dale. The once 303-acre farm had been reduced to the Cockayne Farmhouse and one-half acre of yard.
The purpose of the Cockayne Historic Preservation Project is to create an educational and cultural center on 19th century rural life. Other than adding rudimentary electrical, heating and plumbing resources in the first half of the 20th century, the farmhouse remained true to its 19th century origins.