The McClelland-Grimes farm is covered under the context for the "Southwestern Pennsylvania Diversified Agriculture and Sheep Raising" Historic Agricultural Region for three specific periods of agricultural development: 1850-1890, 1890-1930, and 1930-1960. The farm's historic production patterns, labor organization, and mechanization levels richly and intensively illustrate the region's agricultural history for each of the three periods mentioned; and thus the farm's agricultural history also mirrors the important changes from one period to another.
The McClelland-Grimes Farm architecture and landscape features not only possess integrity, but also meets the MPDF requirements for illustrating agricultural change over time to a high degree. The 1873 house and smoke/ice house, the 1883 barn, and the late 19th century sheep barn represent diversified agriculture and sheep farming at its prosperous peak. In the early 20th century the Grimeses adjusted their farming to de-emphasize sheep and add diversity in the form of grains, beef cattle, and hogs; the wash house, scale shed, and com crib express the intensified subsistence work, and shifts in livestock raising. Between 1930 and 1960, the farm added a poultry house, illustrating the ongoing importance of raising meat and eggs for local markets. The later buildings are made of less expensive, sometimes recycled materials, reflecting escalating pressures for economy.
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