Nonprofit To Celebrate Purchase Of Hammerstein Farm In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center (OHMTEC) will mark the official closing on the nonprofit’s purchase of Oscar Hammerstein II’s historic home and workplace with a celebratory event at the property, Highland Farm in Doylestown, on Monday, Dec. 4 beginning at noon.

Festivities will include remarks by OHMTEC board president Greg Roth and songs by the Lenape Middle School Choir under the direction of Jaime Rogers. Members of the Hammerstein family will be in attendance.

Highland Farm is where the famed lyricist lived with his family and where he collaborated with composer Richard Rodgers to create some of musical theatre’s best-known and loved shows, including "The Sound of Music," "Oklahoma!," "South Pacific" and others. The farm is located at 70 East Road, Doylestown.

“The board is thrilled that the local community lent their voices and their support to the nationwide choir of advocates. As with any legacy project, it takes an entire cast of people coming together – volunteers, financial supporters, and ‘cockeyed optimists’ – to envision and bring the dream to reality," said Roth. "Preserving this important historic landmark is a milestone moment for our community, county, state, and country.”

Financial support for the project came from hundreds of individuals and organizations across the country and the world, including a grant from the Miranda Family Fund, the charitable foundation of playwright and composer Lin Manuel Miranda, and the estate of philanthropist and Hammerstein family friend Ronald Franklin Pratt. Additional funding was provided by the Bucks County Industrial Development Authority and the state of Pennsylvania through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP).

“We are honored to play a part in the preservation and revitalization of the historic Highland Farm into the Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center," said TJ Lonergan, executive director of the Bucks County Industrial Development Authority. "This redevelopment project is a testament to the enduring legacy of the great Oscar Hammerstein, and we are proud to be a part of the celebration of his invaluable contributions to the arts and to our Bucks County community.”

Dubbed the “Birthplace of the Modern American Musical,” Highland Farm was Hammerstein’s home and creative epicenter for the last 20 years of his life. It is where the Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration was born and the inspiration for many of their works, including South Pacific, based on the novel by author James Michener, also a Doylestown native.

Oscar Hammerstein II at his desk at Highland Farm. (Contributed)

The farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Grace Alfiero)

Remarkably, at Highland Farm Oscar met and mentored a young Stephen Sondheim, who has said, “In one afternoon [at Highland Farm], I learned more about songwriting than most people do in a lifetime.”

More than 75 Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Pulitzer Prizes can be directly traced back to Highland Farm.

OHMTEC’s mission is to honor the Broadway legend’s groundbreaking work as a lyricist, librettist, mentor, and humanitarian and to educate and inspire generations of creators and theatre-lovers, with special opportunities for diverse and underserved communities. The nonprofit’s vision is to restore the historic property and create a multifaceted and dynamic museum experience with a strong theatre education component.

An aerial rendering of the theatre and education center. (Contributed)

Hammerstein’s role as a mentor and humanitarian will play a large role in the forthcoming theatre education center. Plans include a youth theater company; classes in theater, dance, and music production; mentorship programs for young adults and emerging professionals; school programming; writer’s retreats; and outreach programs for all ages, both in-person and virtual.

Consistent with the nonprofit’s goal to provide learning opportunities for all, programming fees will be on a sliding scale, and no one will be turned away.

Fundraising has begun in earnest for the next phase of the project: preparing physical infrastructure for public use, restoring the historic home, and curating the museum. The fourth and final phase of the project will be to create a theatre education center on the property currently occupied by the historic barn.

A generous donor is providing a match for all gifts up to $90,000 through the end of the year. Contributions of any amount can be made by check, credit card or appreciated securities. Naming opportunities are available for rooms and spaces in the house and barn. Donations can be made at hammersteinmuseum.org/donate. For more information email Hammersteinmuseum@gmail.com.

An aerial view of Highland Farm in Doylestown.