Cornwall Historical Alliance unveils vision for historic Freeman Farm property

A restored Victorian stable and carriage house, a conservatory, walking trails, and amphitheater are among the possible features of an ambitious project to preserve a 198-acre farm in the center of Cornwall and provide new recreational, educational, and cultural activities for the public.

More than 100 Cornwall borough residents turned out and tuned in recently for the first of two presentations by the Cornwall Historical Alliance about its Freeman Farm Project. The second is scheduled for Thursday, July 30.

Originally part of the Coleman family’s extensive land holdings, the farm is bounded by state Route 419/Freeman Drive, and Cornwall, Furnace and North Zinns Mill roads. About 160 acres are leased to a local family farming operation, with the remainder in wetlands and woodlands.

The farm also has a few buildings, most notably a 19th-century carriage house, an architectural and historic gem, according to presenters.

“The upcoming 100^th anniversary of Cornwall Borough is an opportunity to celebrate the past and to plan for the future,” said Bruce Conrad, alliance chairman and pro tem on borough council who introduced the project.

The alliance’s vision for the farm mirrors that opportunity. By renovating century-old buildings, the project would highlight Cornwall’s storied past and historical landscape while preserving the farm as green space or a “central park” for future generations.

If pursued, the project likely will take decades to be completed, Conrad said, and that’s assuming it can overcome several obstacles. For one, Cornwall Borough doesn’t own the farm — a trust does.

Members of the alliance, a council committee, have been communicating with the trust attorneys for three years about purchasing the property with no success, Conrad told the audience. But details of the trust are not publicly available, so it’s unknown whether the trust has any stipulations about whether the farm can be sold and if so, to whom.

It’s also not known if the trust was structured for a certain length of time, Conrad said.

And then there’s the money needed for purchasing the farm. Conrad estimated a price tag of $5 million based on the current use of the land for farming in an agricultural zone. But a buyer might offer more in hopes the land could be rezoned for development in the future.

“We can’t win a bidding war as the borough,” Conrad said. “What is the way we can get it — eminent domain, a naughty word.”

Conrad identified potential sources including USDA loans, private grants, the county’s farmland preservation program and local contributions to assist in compensating the property owners for the farm should the borough pursue eminent domain.

Besides the purchase price, funds would be needed to create what is being called the Central Park. How much would be needed depends upon what the community wants, said Dana Clark, co-owner of architectural firm Tippetts Weaver, who created a 3-D rendering of what the park could look like. Restoration of the carriage house could cost $5 million.

“This is a concept plan,” Clark said. “We want to get your inspirational thoughts about what this space could be.”

To that end, audience members were asked to complete a community survey that asked them to rate the proposed features and voice their opinion about the potential use of eminent domain. The survey also asked them to prioritize use of the farm — specifically, preservation of agricultural zoning, use as an operating farm and prevention of purchase by developers.

The next presentation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, July 30, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church Social Hall. The presentation also will be livestreamed on the borough’s Facebook page.