3 minute read
Bronson Farm
“We used to grow corn on those fields. Now we grow leaders.” – Howie Bronson Sr.
The bronson farm a c q u i s i t i o n
On June 12, Rumsey Hall officially acquired the 83-acre parcel long known as the Bronson Farm.
The property was originally part of the larger Swan family farm, which stretched across Sabbaday Lane to the northward bend in the river. The Swans subdivided the land eventually and bequeathed half to each of their daughters, Frannie Mygatt and Estelle Bronson.
This deal culminates a 20-year odyssey to acquire the farm, which began on a summer afternoon in 1998, when Estelle’s husband, Howie Bronson Sr., wondered aloud to a frequent visitor from Rumsey whether the school might be interested in acquiring his sister-in-law’s old farm house and corn fields. Looking up from the basket of fresh strawberries she’d just picked, Ashley Farmen said, “That’s a question for Tom.”
She was referring to her husband, Headmaster Emeritus Tom Farmen, who sensed in Howie’s overture a rare chance to preserve the farm while doing something great for the school, for the community, and for the environment.
“The Bronsons wanted to protect the look and feel of the Bantam River Valley,” Tom says. “Their attachment to the land, their sense that it must continue to be nurtured, made these more than mere real estate deals. And of course, we wished to be able to secure this land to enhance our future.” As one current board member explains, “We believe Rumsey’s magic comes from our rural, quiet location – and this ensures that continues. It’s a ‘protect our flank’ move”. A WIN FOR ALL INVOLVED In 1999, Tom consummated a deal with Frannie for the 47 acres adjacent to the school. A year later, that farmland had been transformed into Seibert Field. At the dedication ceremony, Howie Sr. said, “We used to grow corn on those fields. Now we grow leaders.”
After Howie’s passing in 2002, the School and the Bronson family continued to foster a collaborative relationship – and their shared commitment to both environmental stewardship and nurturing young minds. “Estelle especially liked the idea of having the land she loved so dearly becoming part of the Rumsey campus, forever protected, so it would remain connected to her parents’ original property,” Tom says.
Tom and the Board of Trustees unfurled a special fundraising campaign in 2010 that raised enough to purchase the “Solley House side” back in 1998, and then eventually enough for this year’s transaction. Today, Tom expresses no surprise about Rumsey alumni largesse: “The small group of people invited to respond to these opportunities were wonderfully generous.”
MOVING FORWARD WITH PURPOSE With our great fortune comes solemn responsibility. How we develop the property will reflect on our shared commitment to being a great neighbor, to preserving the Highlands greenbelt, to nurturing our students, and to keeping up our cordial relationship with the Bronson family.
– Willy MacMullen P‘10, P‘12 Board Member
BALING HAY — AND STITCHING UP COWS The thought of Rumsey students farming the land, developing their own sense of stewardship, resonates with Sarah Bronson, one of three siblings who grew up on the farm, “The passage of Davies Hollow Farm to Rumsey seems to fit well with my parents’ lifelong interest in nurturing. We know the land will be well cared for and that young people will pass their formative years enjoying the beauty of our valley.”
Sarah smiles when recalling the indelible rhythms of her rural childhood. “My favorite memories,” she says, “were riding cows and horses around the farm, and of course enjoying the trails through Steep Rock. And coming in for dinner after cleaning the barn and putting in hundreds of bales of hay on the hottest days of summer.”
“I used to bring friends home on the bus,” she adds, “when I knew the vet would be there for some exciting procedure, like stitching up a cow for a twisted stomach.”
Though they may never rescue an ailing bovine, by getting some proverbial and actual dirt under their fingers Rumsey students are certain to forge a bond with the farm’s agricultural past, develop respect for the hard work and dedication needed to preserve and nurture a piece of land -- and perhaps create some lasting memories of their own.
