Bryn Gweled Homesteads

Then: It started out in 1939 as an abandoned farm, or several farms. This photo is a few years later.

The vertical road here is Gravel Hill Road, the house in the center is Morris's, with Woods Road above it, and the Singley and Ramburg houses up next to the High Woods. Above that is the thin line of Buttonwood Lane, and above that, the Beech Woods. Churchville is strung out across the top of the picture. Street Road is out of sight along the bottom of the photo.
 

Air view showing Lampe home (in the ruins of a barn), Woods Road to the left and the traffic circle, Buttonwood Lane and across the top, Gravel Hill Road. Center right is the Paxson's lot with spring house by the traffic circle, tool shed, ruins of the farmhouse that was to become the swimming pool, and a garden. Buttonwood Lane in the early 1950s. ->

A couple of early homes, Morris on the left, and Fredendall on right (with Jane and Bruce)
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Janet and Alfred Schroeder and their television set, and the Singley house
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Community was what it was all about in those early days. Many, many meetings, but also working together.
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And there was lots of singing and dancing.
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Animals and gardens were part of  "homesteading":
          William and Eleanor with a goat, and cat;                 Faith Hastings feeds the rabbits,;  and Ada Singley with her canning
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It was a wonderful place to be a child.

A large part of what made Bryn Gweled such a special place in which to grow up in the 1940s and 1950s were the people. In the photograph above by Joe Diano, the children are (from left) Pat, Carol Ann, J J, Marty, Sue, and Bill.
                 The picture on the right is Marty and Sue on their driveway.
 

Carol Ann, JJ, Sue, Marty, and Bert               Mario (third grade?)

 

Anna Owers on a work party. I remember her particularly attacking poison ivy, to which she seemed to have a certain immunity.

Construction of the house at Pear Hill took place in stages, partly because the War restricted access to building materials, and partly because finances were tight. Heavy equipment was brought in to dig the foundation and basement. 
 

The foundation was constructed of stone. Later, after the War, the first floor walls were also built of stone, while the second floor was frame.

 

Building the fire place.               Framing the second storey.

The community center later developed on the site of another cluster of old farm buildings.
 

Barn, at the community center, March 1954

wedding shower, 1960:
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JJ?, Marty, Eleanor, Linda, Carol Ann, Becky, Sue, Diane,

More Recently: The 1990 anniversary and celebration
 

	The remaining founders: Helen Diano, Ed Ramberg, Marian Dockhorn, Herbert Bergstrom, John Hodgkin, and Anna Morris.

            Work party at the community center, 1990 anniversary.                                 Marty with Raymond Wilson, Lake Erie YM, 1983.
 

Bert, Marty, Carol Ann, and JJ	Hans, Meg, Marty, Tom, Frank, and Ken

 

Kent and Lana Wilson and friend, 1995	Eleanor, Marty, Tom, and Bob Dockhorn at the FGC Gathering, 1995

Now: as the 21st century begins
 

Carol Ann and Gary in South Burlington, Vermont	JJ, Marty, and Bert, July 2000

Lydia, Marty, Frank, Nancy, 7/2000	Ed Potts and his 1925 Lincoln Touring car, 7/2000

  The next anniversary was the 70th, celebrated in July 2010: hot weather, a large, enthusiastic turn-out.