On the southern half of the property, the enormous Breeding Barn (1891) was home to Dr. Webb’s Hackney horse breeding operation. Dedicated to breeding a workhorse for Vermont farmers that was strong enough for a plow and elegant enough for a carriage, the enterprise was undermined by the advent of the internal combustion engine (tractors and cars) and a lack of interest from Vermont farmers. Shelburne House was the Webbs’ residence from May to October and during holidays. It was elegant yet comfortable, and outfitted with the most up-to-date domestic technologies such as indoor plumbing and electric lighting. Its style and size (25 bedrooms) were well suited to a constant stream of guests. Down the hill from the Shelburne House, the Coach Barn (1902) held the family carriages, harnesses, horses, and, later on, automobiles. Groomsmen lived in dormitory-style rooms on the second floor.

For a brief time, Shelburne Farms was renowned as one of the foremost model agricultural estates in the country. The scale of the venture, however, could not be sustained. Beginning around 1910 and through the forties and fifties, farming and related operations shrank. The spirit of agricultural innovation and stewardship continued with the construction of a new dairy barn for a Brown Swiss herd in the fifties, but subsequent generations struggled to find a workable future for this singular farm.

In 1972, family descendants began developing a plan. That year, they incorporated Shelburne Farms as a nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation education. In the years since, the place and its purpose have taken inspiring shape. Fledgling summer camps have expanded into educational opportunities for children of all ages to learn about stewardship. Shelburne Farms’ mission has evolved too: to cultivate a conservation ethic in students, educators and the general public by teaching and demonstrating the stewardship of natural and agricultural resources. Much of the land that demonstrates stewardship is permanently protected with conservation easements, deteriorating buildings are being preserved and rehabilitated to new uses, and both the landscape and buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. Through it all, the property has remained a continuous working farm.

In his remarks at the Breeding Barn in the summer of 1998, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy recognized Shelburne Farms as, "...a magnificent place with a history of stewardship, education and innovation." Moving into the twenty-first century, Shelburne Farms will build on the strength of this tradition to make it an enduring legacy.

During the estate’s brief heyday at the turn of the century, 300 employees created and maintained the Webbs’ agricultural vision on a massive scale. They constructed four major buildings—the Farm Barn, Breeding Barn, Coach Barn and Shelburne House—and a number of other estate structures. Annually, 1,500 tons of hay and 12,000 bushels of grain supported Southdown sheep, Jersey dairy cattle, Hackney horses, pigs, poultry and gaming pheasants. Farm products such as milk, butter, pork, pears, apples, eggs and vegetables stocked the Webb residence and were shipped to markets in New York City. As many as one hundred thousand trees a year were planted to create the sculpted landscape and 20 miles of crushed stone roads and carriage trails laid down for visitors to enjoy it.

The four major buildings anchored the estate. The Farm Barn (1890), was hub and headquarters for all agricultural operations. Offices and workshops for carpenters, blacksmiths and wheelwrights were housed here, 40 teams of mules were stabled in the main hall, and grain crops were processed and stored.