Farrand Hall hits market as owners look to pass the torch

After nearly a decade of weddings, chef dinners, and community tables, the Farrand Hall owners say they are ready to pass the torch. 

The Colon-area event venue and estate is now listed for sale — including the house on property, both barns, and the Farrand Hall business itself, should a buyer want to continue operating it. The property is listed at $2.05 million. 

Despite years of controversy and legal battles with the local government, co-founders James Gray and Jacob Hagan say the decision is personal. 

“After nearly 10 years of running the company and growing it, we just felt like it was time for us to pass the torch,” Gray wrote to Watershed Voice. “Choosing to be closer to family and slow down a bit from the everyday.”

Gray said he wants to be clear that the sale is not primarily about the disputes Farrand Hall has had with Colon Township, including a civil hearing in August 2025 regarding a parking violation. The citation stemmed from three cars parked in the Timber Run Trail easement during a private wedding on May 25.

“Definitely not a primary factor,” Gray said of the township issues. “Most of the smaller issues are resolvable and just have to follow a process.” 

That public friction, however, has become part of Farrand Hall’s recent history. 

Over the last couple years, the venue has faced ongoing complaints and scrutiny tied largely to parking and use of the property. In June 2025, WWMT reported rising tensions between Farrand Hall and Colon Township, with township officials saying the business was not following approved uses and had not adequately addressed parking problems. The station also reported township allegations that Farrand Hall had operated uses including a cafe and outdoor market beyond what officials had approved. 

Neighbors also publicly complained about traffic and parking in the Timber Run Trail easement near the property. At an August 2025 civil hearing in St. Joseph County testimony showed a nearby resident had photographed vehicles parked in the easement during a private wedding on May 25. Judge Jeffrey Middleton ultimately found Gray and Hagan responsible for the parking violation and fined them $100 each, but declined to award the additional $2,210 in fees the township had requested. 

Gray said the main parking issue has since been addressed. 

“The parking issue was the main issue,” he said. “That is resolved because we put in a 40 car parking lot.”

He acknowledged the dispute did cost the business money it had not planned to spend.

“We did have to spend money we had not planned for due to that issue,” Gray said. “Obviously we’d prefer to keep our money.”

Still, Gray said Farrand Hall is not shutting down overnight, and he hopes the community will continue to show up while the property is on the market.

“Not much is changing currently,” he said. “Community Dinners still live and we want to encourage folks to continue to enjoy Farrand Hall.”

Gray also said the Three Rivers Diner is a separate company and “it’ll continue operating.”

In a longer message to Watershed Voice, Gray said he and Hagan have “had the property for almost 10 years” and believe the venue has reached “the next phase of its life.” He described Farrand Hall as “a beacon of community and humanity and great food,” and said the two are “sad to move on” but confident it is the right time. 

He said he hopes a future buyer continues what Farrand Hall built, possibly with existing leadership in the kitchen.

“We would love to see an investor come forward and work with our executive chef to buy it,” Gray said. “Ken Miller would be an exceptional owner with his wife.”

For now, Gray said he hopes people see the sale not as an ending forced by controversy, but as a handoff.

“Like many businesses, they get sold, owners pass the torch,” he said. “It’s a great thing that we were able to build something that could be sold. We are excited to see it continue with new ownership.”

He added: “We truly believe Farrand Hall has a soul mate out there and that person will give this property the same love and dedication that we gave it.”

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.