James & Amy Burnham Farmstead

James Lewis Burnham is the son of Latter-day Saint Pioneers Wallace Kendall and Philinda Standley Burnham. Amy Blanche Penrose is the daughter of Louisa Penrose and Elder Charles W. Penrose, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. James and Amy married in Bountiful, Utah in 1882. They moved to Richmond in 1887 where they began constructing their more permanent home in 1895.2

In 1920, the Burnhams moved to Malad, Idaho, and sold the property to David Miller Ross, a widower living in Logan, Utah. It is not recorded whether he ever lived in the home after purchase, but it is believed that he purchased the home as an investment. Before his death in 1930, he sold the home to Eliza Erickson, Olive Stilovich, and Willis A. Erickson in 1928.2

Eliza Erikson was a widow, and Olive and Willis were her children. At Eliza's death in 1944, she deeded the home to Ann S. Erikson, who later sold it to Pete Schorpp in 1986. At the time of the purchase, the "property began to fall into disrepair." Pete was later joined by Jennifer Hines to restore the home and other buildings located on the property.2

Pete and Jennifer transformed the property into a creamery, specializing in cheese in 2001. Rockhill Creamery was organized in 2005. Sara Hunt joined as co-owner in 2018.1  In 2021, after returning from his mission, Parker Measom purchased Rockhill Creamery.2 In 2023, Rockhill Creamery was purchased by Sawyer Hemsley and Hemsley Ventures and was renamed to Rockhill Cheese.4

The James and Amy Burnham Farmstead was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 for its "events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history" and "embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significate and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction." Areas of significance are architecture, agriculture/subsistence, community planning and development, and social history. The farmstead received the Utah Heritage Foundation "Best Adoptive Use" award in 2007. It was then awarded the "Honor Award" by the National Trust of Historic Preservation in 2011.2

1. www.rockhillcheese.com/about-us, Rockhill Creamery, 2022.

2. www.rockhillcheese.com/historic-farmstead, Rockhill Creamery, 2022.

   1. United States Department of the Interior. National Register of Historic Places (2004, July 15). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: James & Amy Burnham Farmstead (Korral Broschinsky). National Archive Catalog. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71999233 

3. www.rockhillcheese.com/meet-cache-medow-creamery, Rockhill Creamery, 2022.

4. https://rockhillcheese.com/pages/about, Rochhill Cheese, 2024