Remembering Larison’s Turkey Farm in Chester, New Jersey

Larison’s Turkey Farm was a historic restaurant and landmark in Chester, New Jersey. It opened in 1945 on the site of a turkey farm that had been in operation since 1868. Known for its hearty turkey dinners and rustic farmhouse ambiance, it became a beloved destination for locals and visitors alike.

UPDATE: The Newark Star-Ledger reported that Larison’s is, in fact, up for sale. It’ll set you back $3,000,000.

From a Farm to a “Farm to Table” Operation

By the mid-20th century, the family capitalized on their farm’s reputation by opening a restaurant that showcased their turkey production, reflecting an early iteration of the farm-to-table movement. Although the Larisons initially operated the working turkey farm on the property, it wasn’t until 1945 that the farm added its restaurant.

The restaurant became a cherished gathering place for locals and visitors from around the state. The menu was famous for its turkey-focused meals, emphasizing traditional, hearty, homestyle cooking. The restaurant became renowned for its comfort food and generous portions, often served family-style.

At Larison’s, every day was Thanksgiving day at the restaurant. Accompanied by classic sides like stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and vegetables, the roasted turkey with gravy dinner was the mainstay. Yes they also had prime rib and roast beef as well, but who goes to a turkey farm to get beef anyway! Baked or roasted chicken and ham dishes were also available to diversify the menu.

Then there was the turkey pot pie.  A rich, creamy pot pie filled with chunks of turkey and vegetables, topped with a flaky crust. A hearty Turkey Soup made with turkey, vegetables, and sometimes noodles, ideal as a starter or a light meal perhaps served with a hot Open-Faced turkey sandwich were served with gravy over sliced bread, alongside a heaping of mashed potatoes.

Don’t forget the desserts. Various pies, including pumpkin and apple, rounded out the meal.

Larison’s Legacy

We take you back first to the beginnings. The oldest section of the Isaac Corwin house in Chester Borough, originally a modest farmhouse, dates to circa 1800. In 1829, James Topping, a master cabinetmaker and owner of an iron mine, purchased the house and the surrounding 53 acres of land.  While under his ownership, the simple farmhouse expanded to become a stately home. In 1873, he also had a Victorian-style home known as “Sunnyside” built for his widowed daughter-in-law nearby on the property. Topping died in 1874, and his descendants inherited the mines.

In 1945, Willis P. Larison (11 May 1903 – 1 May 1998) was looking to move his business to a new, more highly trafficked area (he previously cooked and sold Sunday dinners at a farm on Fairmount Avenue). Willis Larison grew up on their 7th generation farm on Pleasant Hill, which happily has been renamed Larison Road. The Pleasant Hill section is located on Pleasant Hill Road in Chester Township, about a mile from the center of Chester Borough.

Larison purchased the Corwin/Topping property a few miles south of the family farm at the juncture of Routes 206 and 24 and turned the property and home into what was named the Larison’s Turkey Farm Inn. Many patrons remember over 100 antique lamps in the house and dining area. The fireplace mantle would showcase antique steins. Willis 1940s Uncle Sam was one of Larison’s biggest customers, providing turkeys to WW2 soldiers. But when the war ended, Larison had to find a new way to sell some birds: the idea, a restaurant.

They started with just nine tables, according to Willis and Ruth Larison. Ruth hired three helpers, and Ruth would do the cooking in the kitchen. Larison’s turkey farm would raise about 4,400 turkeys yearly, 1,600 for sale, and 2,800 for the restaurant. The turkey eggs were hatched in California. Larison would purchase the chicks when they were just a day old in February from a seller in Cranbury, New Jersey, and raise them through November. The slaughtering process took over 45 part-time staffers to complete in time for Thanksgiving.

For the first Thanksgiving in 1945, Larison’s served 125 people; on Thanksgiving in 1965, they served over 1,200 turkey dinners. For Christmas that year, they served over 800 dinners. But it was Mother’s Day that would reign king, as Larison’s sold more turkey dinners on Mother’s Day, their busiest day of the year, where turkeys were cooked five at a time in their oven.

Larison’s started out with just nine tables and would grow the restaurant to seat about 250 people. Then, in January, the Larisons would close the restaurant and recuperate by traveling for the entire month.

Larison’s Owner – Arthur McGreevy’s 27 Years

In 1974, the Larison’s business was sold to Arthur McGreevy, a local restauranteur. McGreevy stewarded the business (which kept the name Larison’s) for almost thirty years, during which most locals today probably remember dining there. FYI, Willis Larison died in 1998 at the age of 94, twenty-four years after the sale, and rests in Fairmount Cemetery in Tewksbury Township (Fairmount) alongside his wife Ruth and members of his family. Bit strange as both his parents are buried just up the street from the turkey farm at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery (Chester).

Arthur McGreevy’s business philosophy was the same for each restaurant: dedication to detail and willingness to sacrifice his personal time and life. In addition to Larison’s Turkey Farm, Arthur owned Arthur’s Tavern in Morris Plains, Hoboken, and Arthur’s St. Moritz in Sparta. He also owned Llewellyn Farms in Morris Plains, The Black Bull Inn in Mountain Lakes, Arthur’s Tavern in North Brunswick, and Emerson.

Arthur attended Seton Hall Preparatory School and studied poultry husbandry at Rutgers University. He also served four years in the United States Navy. Arthur was in the restaurant business for over 61 years. Arthur also served as president of the New Jersey Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association.

Arthur was born on Dec. 6, 1927, in Orange, N.J., and lived most of his life in Morris Plains, N.J., before moving to Sparta, N.J., where he lived before his death on November 3, 2011. He and his family owned Larison’s Turkey Farm from 1974 to 2001.

What’s Next For Larison’s

The restaurant also closed in 2001 and underwent several name changes before permanently closing in 2009. It is sad when you drive by the former great restaurant and farm. The restaurant building and a few other buildings on the property remain, all showing Father Time’s wear. After the 2002 reopening failed, redevelopment was the word.

Arthur McGreevy, who had owned the restaurant for 27 years, sold Larison’s Turkey Farm to Site Development Inc. of Cherry Hill. The restaurant closed in 2001 and underwent several name changes before permanently closing in 2009. Arthur McGreevy died in 2011.

Records show Site Development was sold to Harold Wachtel, another developer. The last owner, Harold Wachtel, died in May 2023 at the age of 91. He resided in Morris Plains, New Jersey, and was the President and CEO of Countrywide Realty, a real estate firm. Under regulations set by the 2004 New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, Wachtel sold 44 acres of the property to the borough in 2007 for $3.74 million to be preserved as open space.

For now, Larison’s Turkey Farm property is not listed by a specific real estate agency for sale. Instead, Global Acquisitions, the entity involved in the project, is undergoing redevelopment planning. Proposals for the site include a mixed-use development featuring a Wawa, daycare, and other facilities. Updates on the project are being managed in collaboration with Chester Borough officials.

But if you went, you can never forget the “all you can eat turkey dinner” that made everyday Thanksgiving at Larison’s.

Brooks Betz, writer and Larison’s patron.

Historic Footnote

In the early 2000s, the site was being shopped around for sale to developers, and a public outcry ensued. In response, the Borough extended the local Chester Historic District to include the property. Also around this time, the NJ Historic Preservation Office (HPO) determined that the Chester Historic District and the Corwin House were eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. For the Corwin house, the HPO cited its association with two significant periods of local history and the level of integrity it had retained over the years.

From the Chester Historical Society

Larison’s Turkey Farm Timeline

• 1800 Isaac Corwin builds a farmhouse on the site he bought from Benjamin Luse.
• 1829 James Topping buys the farm from Isaac Corwin.
• 1873 James Topping builds the 1873 Sunnyside House for his widowed daughter-in-law.
• 1929 New Route 206 was built and cut through the eastern part of the property.
• 1939 Historic American Buildings Survey shows Leila (Eliza L.) Topping as owner. See photos, plans, and notes at http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/nj0643/ .
• 1945 Willis Larison buys the Topping Farm and converts the house to an inn/restaurant.
• 1974 Arthur McGreevy buys Larison’s Turkey Farm from Willis Larison.
• In 2000, Arthur McGreevy contracted to sell the Turkey Farm to Site Development Inc. of Cherry Hill, which plans to move or raze the Inn and build a CVS pharmacy and bank.
• 2000 Public outcry ensues over plans.  The Planning Board holds informal hearings.
• 2001 Larison’s Turkey Farm Inn closes.
• 2001 Borough Council rezones site to Office Professional and extends Historic
  District to cover the site. Wachtel and neighboring landowners sued, but the suit was set aside in Morris Superior Court. Wachtel discussed possible plans to convert the Inn to a town hall and build a bank and pharmacy on another part of the site.
• 2002 Arthur McGreevy sells the property to Harold Wachtel.
• 2002 Lou Mont reopens Larison’s Turkey Farm Inn.
• 2005 Bocina Co. of Basking Ridge, a developer selected by Wachtel, presented plans for an upscale hotel, stores, and townhouses.  A new sewer plant would be required.
• 2005 Larison’s Turkey Farm Inn closes again.
• 2007 Puddingstone Inn is opened by Theresa Gaffney (Sally Lunn’s Tea Room owner).
• 2007 44 acres in the rear of Larison’s tract were purchased from Harold Wachtel for $3.74M for open space, creating Larison Woods.
• 2008 Larison’s Steakhouse is opened by Joseph Lobrano (Publick House owner).
• 2009 Larison’s Steakhouse closes.
• 2018 27-acre development to include the construction of a CVS Pharmacy, medical office building, general office building, cell tower, an organic farm, and 36 affordable housing units per the borough’s agreement with Chester Town Center Global Acquisitions Company LLC. The informational portion of the Tuesday meeting lasted two and one-half hours, with Mayor Janet Hoven and the current owner of the Turkey Farm property, Robert Berlant, making presentations in front of a crowded audience at the Meeting Hall.
• 2023 On Dec. 5, the developers met to discuss the addition of a new Wawa, which will replace a previously planned CVS and a preschool/early development center. Check out the video.

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