For Immediate Release:
January 18, 2017
Smith Farm at Borderland proudly announces the
Easton Lions Club Centennial Legacy Project & The Avery Lee Williams
Family Farmhouse Renovation Challenge
Through the generosity of the Easton Lions Club in support of their Centennial Legacy Project, and of The Avery Lee Williams Family, Smith Farm at Borderland State Park is launching the Easton Lions Club Centennial Legacy Project & The Avery Lee Williams Family Farmhouse Renovation Challenge to help renovate the Asahel Smith Farmhouse. The Easton Lions Club and Mr. Williams have teamed up to match the funds we raise up to $20,000—making a total of $40,000 available for construction costs related to the physical structure of the farmhouse.
Matthew Cioffi, President of the Easton Lions, says of his desire to get involved with Smith Farm,
“It was nearly 20 years ago when I first saw the Smith Farm homestead. My family and I had recently moved down from Vermont. On a brisk winter day, while skiing at Borderland, I saw this quaint old farmhouse far across the field for the first time. As I approached the farmhouse, I began to see its character. I wondered how old the farmhouse was and who once lived there and maintained the fields and fences years ago. At that time, I figured it would eventually fall and become another piece of history lost to time. Over the years, I’ve learned more about Smith Farm and its history. On my recent hikes through the trails I’ve been watching the progress on the farm restoration. It truly is a Zen-like island within Borderland, providing a respite for all who walk these grounds. I am very glad that the Easton Lions can be a part of the project during our 85th year serving Easton and the Centennial year of Lions International. I look forward to the day very soon when the house is restored for all to enjoy, inside and out.”
Beyond the goal of raising $40,000 in cash donations, Smith Farm will actively seek in-kind donations of supplies and materials to help us toward project completion. The Farmhouse Renovation Challenge will last until May 31, 2017 with the goal of raising $40,000 and breaking ground in the Spring of 2017.
In addition to the support of the Easton Lions Club and Mr. Williams, Smith Farm has secured a significant partner in Clarke Construction for our renovation efforts. Clarke Construction (Trevor Clarke, President) will complete the physical structure and woodwork restoration of the Asahel Smith Farmhouse. Alongside contractor Ernie Smith, who approached Smith Farm through our veteran partnership with the American Legion Post 7 in Easton, MA, Clarke Construction will serve as our contractor on the Asahel Smith Farmhouse Renovation.
To make the Farmhouse Renovation Challenge a success, we will need the support of the Easton and area town communities, businesses, wellness groups, and citizens who have an interest in preserving history AND in providing a place of wellness for all to take advantage of. Certainly anyone who has had the fortune of spending time at Smith Farm knows the value of its serenity, location, and programs that will continue to run throughout the coming year.
One such developing partnership which will benefit from the Asahel Smith Farmhouse renovation is Smith Farm’s partnership with the Center for Integrated Wellness (CIW), located at the VA Boston Healthcare System’s Brockton Campus. Smith Farm will be providing space for the Center to offer their creative treatment options, such as art and music therapy, as well as to build a Veteran’s Community Garden to help area veterans who are facing mental health challenges. Smith Farm will make our facility available to CIW as an alternative site for their existing programs—providing a serene and peaceful setting for Veterans who seek creative pathways to mental health and wellness.
Smith Farm’s engagement with veterans was a driving force for Avery Lee Williams,
“I have been aware of Smith Farm since I was a kid. In the late 1940s and early 1950s I was a regular at Borderland as a camper. We lugged our jungle hammocks and fishing gear to the dam area and spied on the Ames offspring as they rode around in a Ford jalopy. Since then I, as a poor example of Army veteran (I was a Company Cook), have developed a special feeling for those with PTSD. I am Past Commander of Post 7 American Legion in Easton and, as such, I’ve been witness to the toll PTSD takes on those who have served us.”
Please help us to reach our goals along with the Easton Lions Club and The Avery Lee Williams Family. Donors wishing to support this worthy cause may donate safely online either through the Smith Farm website at www.smithfarmheals.org, or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SmithFarmAtBorderland. Donation will also be accepted by checks made out to Smith Farm at Borderland, Inc. and mailed to Carrie Crisman, Smith Farm Curator, P.O. Box 22, Norton, MA 02766. For further details, call Carrie at (508) 889-8889.
