Apple Ridge is a community located on the ridge above the Village of Egg Harbor. This unique location offers both open and wooded home sites with towering maple and oak trees.
The Homeowner’s Association maintains over twelve acres of HOA-owned conservancy land, and two miles of hiking trails that connect to the village below. The beautiful swimming pool at Harbor Vista at Eames Farm Condominium is shared with Apple Ridge. We welcome you to explore the possibilities at this beautiful and friendly community.
History
The property has significant history in the Egg Harbor community. Settled in 1876 by the Horace William Eames family from Quebec, the Eames family was instrumental in establishing Door County as a fruit-growing center. Dairy and orchards prospered on the Eames Farm land until 1950 when a fire destroyed the dairy operation, after which expansion of fruit growing and processing became the sole endeavor.
Horace Franklin Eames, a son of William, was most instrumental in the development of Egg Harbor, and the Door County horticultural business. “Frank” was born in 1859 in Quebec and died in 1937 at Egg Harbor. He graduated from the University of Illinois Medical School in 1889. Frank was an exceptional person. He was the regional doctor, had a pharmacy in the village, operated the Eames Steamboat Dock from 1902- 1925, and expanded the family farm to a showcase dairy and orchard operation. He married Emma Baker and had eleven children. They were members of the Egg Harbor Methodist church.
Frank and Emma built their home on the knoll located near the remaining original Eames Farm buildings and the location of Building ‘B’ The Hill at Eames Farm Condominium. Their property was known as La Vista Farm and Orchard. After the Robert Doneff family purchased the land in 1992, the house was moved next to “Cupola House” in the lower village and restored. At the original house location, to this day, the Doneff family has maintained the charming Eames machine shed and former orchard manager’s house at 4563 County E.
By 1917, the Eames horticultural operation had grown to 400 acres of which 120 acres were dedicated to orchards of apples, plums and cherries. The dairy continued to prosper as well. Dr. Eames was active in societies of medicine, horticulture, as well as county government. La Vista was known for its experimentation and advancement of dairy and orchard practices.
Eventually Frank and Emma’s son Spencer William (1902- 1980), and his wife Mildred (1905- 1991), took over La Vista, and residency in the fine house. Spencer’s family expanded the orchards. The dairy was terminated after the 1950 fire. They constructed the block buildings that exist today at the former site of the barns, for apple storage, washing and packaging in five and ten-pound bags to ship to grocery distributors. The orchard business was known as Eames Orchards, and employed many local residents, especially during the harvests.
In the 1970’s Spencer and Mildred sold their operation to “Charlie and Mitch” from Milwaukee who expanded the processing operations, but with poor success. They constructed the cherry processing plant on County E, which is today operated by Seaquist Orchards, added apple refrigeration space, and built a 12,000 sf state of the art apple juice concentrating plant at a cost over $1,000,000. Shortly after that project, importation of juice from Europe and South America competed with the U.S. Their operation, Egg Harbor Orchards, which had grown to over 800 acres, did not survive, and terminated business in 1991.
In 1992, Robert and Lynn Doneff purchased 225 acres, which included the processing buildings, La Vista house, and manager’s house. Mildred resided at La Vista until her death in 1991. A large farm auction took place, and the apple juicing equipment was shipped to Washington State. The manager’s house and machine shed have been restored, and the large buildings were utilized for boat storage.
The Seaquist Orchard and Wood Orchard groups purchased the apple and cherry orchards.
The Doneff’s developed and constructed The Hill at Eames Farm Condominium, Harbor Vista at Eames Farm Condominium, and Apple Ridge at Eames Farm Subdivision. They gifted acreage east of the Egg Harbor Fire Department to the Village. Approximately 120 acres on the north side of County E remains undeveloped. All land is in the Village of Egg Harbor. Large areas of the condominium’s land were set aside to cherry orchards, and are living examples of concerned development practices.