The nonprofit plans to preserve the farmhouse and convert the barn into a theater education center, opening the space to the public for tours, classes, mentorship programs, and writing retreats. The organization said all programming will be available on a sliding scale, with a special focus on underserved communities.
Purchase of the property will take place in the next few weeks, according to Christine Junker, secretary and treasurer for OHMTEC. After that, the nonprofit will begin fundraising to, a project with at least a $1.5 million price tag, the organization said in a statement. Hammerstein originally purchased Highland Farm with his wife Dorothy in 1940 for $23,000. He wanted to leave New York City to avoid the interruptions of meetings, telephone calls, and visits that took away from his work, according to an earlier Inquirer report. In Bucks County, he raised cattle and helped author Pearl S. Buck found an adoption center for children from around the world.
When he began collaborating with Rodgers, a former classmate from Columbia University, Hammerstein would write books and lyrics at Highland Farm, while Rodgers wrote music in New York.the plaintive song