Muscoot Farm Honored with Heritage Advocate Award
Muscoot Farm in Somers was honored with a Heritage Advocate Award by the Heritage Preservation, a national non-profit organization, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency.
A Westchester County park, Muscoot earned a $3,750 award for its “Treasure Hunt Series” project, which educated the public about the risks faced by historical collections and the importance of appropriate care to protect these treasures.
Although the farm is known for its animals, Muscoot Farm
holds historical value. It was originally a Gentleman’s Farm founded by Ferdinand T. Hopkins in 1880 and operated as a dairy farm until Westchester County acquired the property in the late 1960s.
The Muscoot staff developed a series of programs that focused on the farm’s ‘non-living’ features such as the fields and barnyard. Inspired by a Heritage Preservation and IMLS-sponsored workshop, the staff developed programs that taught visitors about the historical aspects of Muscoot in addition to the everyday happenings at the farm. Participants in the program toured the farm extensively, from buildings and farm implements to the hand-made milking stool crafted by a farm hand in the 1930s.
The farm shared first place with Missour State Museum in Jefferson City, MO.
The award amount was matched by the not-for-profit Friends of Muscoot. The funds will be used in purchasing equipment for safe care of documents and photographs in the new archive room, which the staff was inspired to create after participating in the Raising the Bar workshop.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.