Beth Payne

The Dudley Foundation/The Dudley Farm Museum

 

Member profile details

 

Personal Information

First name
Beth
Last name
Payne
 

Contact Info

Phone
203-457-0770
 

Your Organization or Business

Organization or Business Name
The Dudley Foundation/The Dudley Farm Museum
 

Mailing Address

Number and Street or P.O. Box
2351 Durham Road
City
Guilford
State
CT
ZIP Code
06437
Description
The Dudley Farm was built in 1845 by Erastus Dudley, a prosperous North Guilford farmer, gristmill, and tannery owner. Today, the house, barns, and surrounding ten picturesque acres occupy a portion of the land farmed by the Dudley family for almost 300 years.
October 10, 1994, the Dudley Foundation became incorporated, and the unforeseen and improbable journey to becoming a museum and destination began. Nobody saw it coming; North Guilfordites were in the dark about the details of the local landmark. The North Guilford Congregational Church and the North Guilford Volunteer Fire Company were both unsuspecting beneficiaries of David Dudley’s will. At the time, it seemed that the two entities would just be financial recipients of David’s estate after the real estate and contents were sold.
Realizing the unique character of The Dudley Farm, several long-time locals, primarily from the fire company, wondered if it would be possible to preserve this gem to make it a community resource. It required a lot of cooperation–the fire company supported the concept but did not wish to run the farm, and the church felt likewise but needed to protect the church’s interests. It was a daunting task, but numerous outside people and entities worked to make it happen.
Facebook address
facebook.com/dudleyfarmmuseum

Connecticut League of Museums
Central Connecticut State UniversityDepartment of History
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT 06050
(860) 832-2674
info@clho.org

with support from
CTHumanities

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