Topic:
The Rose Farm -- Ideas For Its Future (Please read Forum Rules before adding your comments at the bottom of the page.) Kathleen Aspinall - Dec. 10, 2002 I am building a house on the corner of the "Rose Farm" and I am just thrilled that the town has found someone that is going to have Jersey cows on the farm again. It is wonderful that they are willing to clean up the walls, fix up the house and barn. It is going to be alot of work for them. I can't wait to see this as a running farm again. We have lost a lot of the charm in Bolton by losing all the running farms. Dick Tuthill - Oct. 27, 2002 What is this that I hear about Richard Rose and his wife being given a 45 day notice to leave the Farm? I also notice that a moving van trailer is parked in the yard. Someone else from out of Town is being given a lease instead? What's up with that? On the surface, that doesn't sound like something I'd endorse. But I do not have the facts. Also, has the Committee been invited back for an in-depth discussion of their report? Inquiring minds would like to know .... Kathleen Aspinall - July 9, 2002 The house needs to be painted and the trees around the walls along with the bittersweet, multiflora, thistle, poison ivy and weeds should be killed or cut. It is very sad to see how 60 plus years of work [by the Rose family] can be erased with such ease.
Evelyn O'Connor - June 10, 2002 I agree with Gwen Marrion 100%, especially keeping the walls intact. As Patty Cinea mentioned let's not be too aggressive in anything permanent that may disrupt the beauty & historic value. Also it would be a wonderful idea to put together a committe that lends itself to making sure various groups in town, including students, help maintain out of respect for our town, to save money and as our civic duty. I want to see Bolton remain as rural as possible. Maintaining the Rose Farm is one way to do this. I hope and pray route 6 &/or 44 do not become a new Berlin Turnpike just to try and increase town revenue. Let's not forget new business brings with it more strain on services, not always a big money maker we hope for. Rebecca Wilson - April 25, 2002 I like the idea of a community garden...vegetable or flower. Those who help maintain could reap the benefits...extras could be donated to local food pantries. Corrine Youngstrom - March 20, 2002 I am a special education teacher at Bolton High School. I teach a program called Life Skills; I help students with special needs become as independent as possible in every aspect of their lives. I would love to use the Rose Farm to grow a small vegetable garden, flower garden, or an herbal garden. I think that using the farm for educational purposes is a wonderful idea. Public comment from March 7, 2002 hearing: Gwen Marrion: Susan DePold: Jerry Wright: Rod Parlee: Hans DePold: Joe Erardi (Supt. of Schools): Milt Hathaway: Mike Giglio: Jamie Tyrrell - Feb. 28, 2002 Keep as much as possible for open space, wildlife, historic sites. The town of Bolton and its citizens should make every effort to set aside as many sites like Rose Farm as possible. The reward will be a desirable town, consequently creating high property values, healthy environmental surroundings, aesthetic beauty, and historic significance. Jon Wilson - Feb. 23, 2002 Well, this is a very nice piece of property. Maybe this farm should be set up something like Fish Family Farm. Have it open to the public. Have volunteer members work the old place and have a full working farm. Since Fish Family Farm only has cows, Rose's Farm could have pigs, chickens, or other farm animals. We could have a small fee of $2.00 and people could be on guided tours throughout the farm and see what a farm is all about in Bolton, Ct. Another idea is to have a small motel there. This may sound stupid at first but keep on reading. People could stay overnight, and their payments could help for future improvements. People stay and farm members of the town can show these people what to do on the farm, giving them various tasks and jobs to do. Work is done for you by visitors and the joy of teaching them does not really feel like work.
Hans DePold - Feb. 22, 2002 We should keep in mind the potential long-term uses of the property. It is the place in Bolton that George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Lafayette, General Rochambeau, 5,000 French officers and troops, and more than 1,000 American Continental Army officers and troops visited. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, both the buildings and the archaeological site. The site still has valuable Native American Indian and Revolutionary war artifacts. The property was the parsonage for the first pastors in Bolton and was the house of the first town doctor. In the 1700's it was used by the town and each able bodied person was required to volunteer to work mending stone walls and clearing brush. The stone walls are just as Rochambeau's map makers drew them in 1781. By 2006 Congressman Larson intends to have federal legislation passed making the road in front of the Rose Farm a national trail under the National Park Service. As stewards of the property we should protect/recover the artifacts and use the property fitting with its heritage and future potential... as a site on the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail. We should take advantage of private, state, and federal grants for museums, libraries, gift shop, rest area, trails, restoration, etc., such that we preserve our village center and build a tourism industry that will help Bolton resist being overrun with urban sprawl. We should take care not to have activities where people are more likely to get hurt and sue the town or non-profit trust that manages it. We should think of using it the ways the managers of Sturbridge Village and Plymouth colony think of using their sites. While the Rose Farm is an important historical site, Sturbridge Village and Plymouth colony have in fact no historic site significance. Think of what Bolton can do with a real historic site that is comparable to the Freedom Trail in Boston. Tom Thumb - Feb. 17, 2002 I feel that the open land should be used for town youth sports, since the town of Bolton does not have a rec center. Naamah Braman - Feb. 7, 2002 I think we need to keep this area as close to natural as is, and can stay. Look back through our town's history and all that it has to show and teach us. I've enjoyed all the history articles I see in this great little community news bulletin, couldn't we share more of that in another way? Since it has historical value already, why don't we create our own little type of "Sturbridge Village" portraying all the beautiful farmland and history of our own great little town? We have all it takes to do this right here in the boundries of our own "village." Why not show it and share with all? We have much to be proud of here. Also, consider making it such a pleasant little park would invite revenue for our town. Patricia Cinea - Feb. 5, 2002 I agree with the previously expressed ideas of restoring the beautiful farmhouse, creating hiking/biking/rollerskating trails for all residents to use, and waiting several years before any permanent decisions. With the increase in new housing developments, we may need the land for a separate junior high school in the future. Eileen Stanley - Dec. 17, 2001 Comments made to me by various people around town: "Whatever you do will take a few years. In the meantime, a coat of paint on the buildings would make them look spectacular." "Keep the land that's farmed now as open fields. I don't care what you do with the rest." "That hill is great for sledding. We used to sled there as kids." "Have trails through the property for hiking and skiing." "Keep a small number of animals to graze the fields." "Restore the house and keep Bolton artifacts there." "Have a community garden on the property, like the one in Vernon near the police station." Jane Ericson - Dec. 4, 2001 I have two ideas for use of the Rose farm. First I think it could be used as a valuable learning center using its agricultural and historical attributes. Secondly, I have always thought it would be great as a recreational area for hiking and x-country skiing. There is a wonderful x-country ski center in Farmington called Winding Trails. Whatever is done we need to preserve the beauty and history of this property but make it available to the public. We are so very fortunate to have this! (Editor's note: see more about Winding Trails on their web site.) Eileen Stanley - Nov. 30, 2001 I hope you'll all feel free to share any ideas/dreams you may have regarding this community treasure, no matter how far-fetched they may seem. A great place to look for inspiration is the web site for Holcomb Farm in Granby, Conn. Check it out: www.holcombfarm.com.
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