Town Farm celebrates grand opening: it's not just for the poor anymore

Town Farm celebrates grand opening: it's not just for the poor anymore

By Daniel H. King

Staff Writer – Courtesy of the Dartmouth Chronicle

July 25, 2007

Photos by EverythingWestport.com

Read 1956 Standard Times article about the closing of the Town Poor Farm (infirmary).

WESTPORT - As you walk past the farmhouse and down towards the first stonewall barway, your view expands to the pastures below, the herd of cows, and the river gently sparkling. The Westport Town Farm represents an idyllic place in a town that often speaks of the past, but is not too busy to listen for the future.

The Town Farm, or the Poor Farm as it was known, stands proudly on its original foundations, but now rather than being a homestead, or helping the poor, it is open to all, a haven for anyone.

The Town Farm is still owned by the Town of Westport, but the property is managed by the Trustees of Reservations.

On this past Saturday, the Town Farm had its official opening. A day where the house, the corn crib, and the barn were open to be explored and a day where people came for fun and friends, rather than out of dire straits.

The Trustees of Reservations were there early with their crew of volunteers, setting up an information table, putting out food, displaying property log books on a carpentry bench, and even adjusting their sign from behind the glass. All the doors were open, all the paths were mowed, and the property was ready to be shared.

Today, although special to many, was just another day for the poor farm, a day mirroring history, a day serving its community.

"There's so much history here," said Linton Harrington of the Trustees. The house that greets you as you walk onto the Town Farm property is a symbol of history itself.

According to Pete Baker, who offered a short tour of the house, the original Stephen Wilcox homestead was built circa 1720 with an addition during the 1790's Federal era, she guesses. "You can clearly see up in the attic where the two pieces are," she said.

Ms. Baker was one of the many excited individuals at the property that day. "This is such a great example of what it's all about," she said. "It's just perfect," she added, "saving the land, saving the heart of the land— the people."

Her sentiment was clear. Don't just save the land, or save the house, but save the heart and soul of the property; save the people the way property saved them before.

Now, as before, when some needs somewhere to go for a break from cell phone ringtones and life's annoyances, they have one. They can go, not to the poor farm, but to the Town Farm where all are welcome from sunrise to sunset, weather dry or wet.

In the future, the Trustees are looking to establish their offices inside the house, while renting out a portion of it for revenue to help maintain the property. Someday in the future someone like Michael Labossiere, a superintendent with the Trustees, will sit in the easterly facing second-floor bedroom with an oak's eye view of the river. Until then, the house will be empty, save for the creak of nails in the sloping floorboards and the concave bowing wall by the fireplace.

This project by the town and the Trustees happened very quickly. According to Mr. Labossiere, the deed was signed in the fall and the opening followed shortly after. "We dedicated a lot of resources," said Mr. Labossiere. "We wanted to have an impact as quickly as possible."

He said volunteers and the town helped a lot, notably Jack Sisson and the Highway Department; they worked hard to clear the walls and prepare the property in a short amount of time to be ready for the opening.

The opening of the Town Farm to the public is only the first phase. The next is to turn the house's interior into office space, and according to Trustees land protection specialist and Westport Land Conservation Trust spokesman Anthony Cucchi, "implementing a sustainable agriculture program here."

When speaking about the Trustees of Reservations and their mission, Trustees vice president of Land Conservation Wesley Ward said before the ribbon cutting, "I like to think we are one of the youngest groups in the country in terms of our ideas."

The Trustees try to "show the community how important open space is to the community," he continued. "Today our work is more important than ever," he suggested, adding, "of course our work is not done."

He concluded by saying that the cooperation between the Town of Westport and the Trustees offers "a tremendous model" towards which others can strive.

Historical preservationist Geraldine Millham was one of the happiest people there on opening day, saying, "This is a great day for me as an individual. After working on this project for 25 to 30 years, she said, "it just deserved to be taken care of."

"It's so wonderful having people appreciate it," Mrs. Millham also made a point to say. "When I got the call from Anthony Cucchi saying the Trustees wanted to take over the property, it was one of the best calls I've ever gotten."

As well as a celebration, the Town Farm opening was also the kickoff of a campaign to raise one million dollars for the property. "We want to create an educational program and environmentally sustainable agriculture," said volunteer Paul Schmidt.

The Trustees also want to create a boardwalk to give people access to the river because currently the river can only be seen, not reached.

They also want to secure the property for a long period of time, noting that they will request a long-term lease from Westport at the next town meeting so they can secure the property and invest the necessary capital into its improvement.

The first phase of the Town Farm is complete, and the next phases are in motion, but now again, as once before, this farm stands in place as a marker in time and as a sanctuary to those who need it.

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