New Life? Larison's Turkey Farm in Chester, New Jersey

Larison’s Turkey Farm was more than just a restaurant; it was a cherished New Jersey landmark steeped in tradition. Established in 1945 on the grounds of a working turkey farm dating back to 1868, Larison’s embodied the warmth and character of small-town Chester. With its rustic farmhouse charm, family-style turkey dinners, and long wooden tables that welcomed generations of diners, it quickly became a gathering place for both locals and travelers. For decades, the aroma of roast turkey and the sight of the old farmhouse sign along Route 206 evoked a sense of home and nostalgia, a symbol of simpler times in the Garden State’s countryside.

UPDATE: 10/7/2025
We’ve learned that Alsteade Farms, the well-known Chester, New Jersey, family farm and market, has announced plans to revitalize the historic Larison’s Turkey Farm property, breathing new life into one of the area’s most beloved landmarks. The project centers on the original 1800s farmhouse and its surrounding 14 acres, where Alstede intends to revive active farming—growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers once again on the site.

The historic Topping House, which later became part of the iconic Larison’s Turkey Farm Inn restaurant, will be transformed into a new Alstede Farm Market, blending the site’s agricultural roots with modern local food offerings. The company’s vision includes outdoor dining, open green space, and nods to Larison’s nostalgic charm, such as Adirondack chairs under the property’s signature tulip tree. Working with Chester Borough officials, the broader redevelopment plan also incorporates new community features, including proposed affordable and market-rate housing, as well as potential new businesses. While final approvals and partnerships are still being worked out, the Alstede family’s involvement signals a thoughtful effort to preserve the heritage and hospitality that made Larison’s a regional favorite for generations.

The McGreevy family lured customers to Larison’s with family-style turkey dinners with all the trimmings. The price in 1969? $4.25 with pie!

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 felt like Thanksgiving 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, is ideal as a starter or a light meal. It may be served with a hot Open-Faced turkey sandwich, accompanied by 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.

Willis and Ruth Larison are prepping for more turkey dinners. Source: Central New Jersey Home News.

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 has been happily 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.

Seven generations of the Larisons grew up on their farm in the Pleasant Hill section of Chester.

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 World War II 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 approximately 4,400 turkeys annually, with 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.

Chef Al Pisano, takes some of the savory birds from the oven. *By Joe Gigli*

Larison’s Owner – Arthur McGreevy’s 27 Years

In 1974, the Larisons’ business was sold to Arthur McGreevy, a local restaurateur. 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 is sitting at one of his restaurants on the wall at Arthur’s Tavern, McGreevy’s only surviving establishment.

Arthur’s (McGreevy’s) Tavern in Morris Plains, New Jersey, is still owned by the McGreevy family, which has run the establishment for over six decades. Alyce McGreevy, the daughter of the late Arthur McGreevy, is still actively involved in the restaurant’s operations. So thank you, Arthur, for giving us Arthur’s AND Larison’s! Now you know how Arthur’s got its name!

Arthur McGreevy’s business philosophy was consistent across all his restaurants: a dedication to detail and a 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 the wear of Father Time. After the 2002 reopening failed, redevelopment was the word.

I never made it there, but someone tried to profit from the steak craze. Didn’t last long.

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 for sale with a specific real estate agency. 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.

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

MLH honors Larison’s Turkey Farm Inn with this “Wear Local History” classic. Get yours now! Click Here

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.

NOW SCRAPPED! On December 5, 2023, 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. Larison’s Turkey Farm, Chester, 2023 concept

From the Chester Historical Society

Larison’s Turkey Farm Timeline

1800 – Isaac Corwin built 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.
In 1929, the 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 – 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.
2025 – A new plan has been reported that will save the Larison Turkey farm house and farm, and incorporate new with old, including a new Chick-Fil-A.