Editor's Note: Kate Mattiace, a contributor to HamletHub, shares her thoughts on New Fairfield and Sherman's Great Hollow. This is the second installment in her series. To read the first, click here.
I am in great admiration for the property of the Great Hollow, for Walter Merritt who had a vision, and for the local public who look to take it upon themselves to make sure the property is used to its original owner's intentions with respect to the wildlife sanctuary it is. My own journey exploring the Great Hollow began when my editor [at the Citizen News] gave me an assignment to write about this summer's camp being offered through the New Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department. I learned a great deal about the life of Walter Merritt in the process and quickly found myself falling for this land's love story. Unfortunately, as most stories go, Great Hollow has had a complicated history. Walter Merritt himself was a complex man with his work in labor law and as a man who was able to piece together parcels of land to make himself the greatest sanctuary of a home.
The first time I drove onto the property, I had butterflies in my stomach. After much time spent researching at home and in the library (with special thanks to Linda Fox and the Historical Society for allowing me to continually pop in to peruse their records), I was eager to finally set eyes on Great Hollow. As anyone who has seen the property in recent years could imagine, I was disheartened and disappointed to see the buildings for the first time. The home of Walter Merritt, which has since been used as a main office for the YMCA program, is certainly showing signs of its age. The restrictive will of Walter Merritt may seem a burden to some, but in understanding his life and his legacy, we can come to respect what he wished to see continue post-death for this beautiful area. As a community, we are blessed to have such a gift nearby.
I have heard many stories about Walter Merritt, from his life on the land, enjoying nature, riding his horses out on Timber Trails with his first wife, Isabel. I have been told of the apple orchards on the property, which was run by volunteers. In many accounts, he was a generous and loyal neighbor who took into consideration those who lived around him. In my research, I came across groups who were able to hike the property and who were saddened to see the trails now overgrown. Homeschool programs were run through the Great Hollow Wilderness School where children were given the unique opportunity to learn wilderness skills, pioneering, and nature awareness and they were grateful to give this experience to their children.
My journey with Great Hollow was aided in large part by the knowledge and wonderful storytelling of Dr. Peter Rostenberg and Ward Moss. It is encouraging to see the Naromi and New Fairfield Land Trusts' involvement. Marge Josephson and Bill McCann were gracious enough to share their own stories with me. They seem to have fallen in love with Great Hollow long before I came to New Fairfield. Walter Merritt would be happy to know he has such crusaders in his corner. I would encourage the public to become involved. In the years to come, I hope to be walking the trails at Great Hollow, to see the buildings brought back to life, to bring my children to learn and to observe the nature around them and maybe even to pick an apple of their very own. The property of Great Hollow is first and foremost a gift from Walter Merritt, a gift which we should enjoy and which we must cherish.
"My father died in 1959 and the following year my mother and I went back to Norfolk, Virginia. My American history teacher at the time would give us reading assignments each night and one night he handed us an assignment on the Danbury Hatter's Strike. I saw Walter Gordon Merritt's name on the page and became excited. I told the teacher, "I know this man. He was our neighbor". The teacher kicked me out of the class for lying and when I went home, my mother happened to be reading a note from Mr. Merritt regarding the future of his property. He had conversed with several of his neighbors as to what would happen to their adjacent land upon his passing. I told my mother what had happened in class and she brought me right back that day and explained to my teacher that I did, in fact, personally know Mr. Merritt and I was allowed back in the class."
- Ward Moss, neighbor and family friend of Walter Merritt
"I have had the privilege of working at Great Hollow Wilderness School since 1998. Great Hollow was a place that changed lives, a place that used the outdoors as a metaphor for life. Students challenged themselves and did things they never thought possible. One of my most memorable moments was watching a group of students from an Upward Bound Program go over the wall: the wall is 13 feet high. As they looked at that wall, they thought they could never make it over, but after days of being at GH they learned that with perseverance and teamwork they could do it. They would reflect back on this experience when they were faced with the many "walls" they would have to get over in their lives. I learned a great deal from my time at GH about diversity, tolerance and acceptance. I saw the power of GH when students walked away with the strength to know that their hopes and dreams could be achieved if they worked hard and refused to let life's "walls" get in their way."
- Gail Null, Vice President of Operations, Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut
"It's the peak of spring and Whole Earth Homeschool [at Great Hollow] is off to a blossoming start. The water is glistening with beauty and the woods are filling in fast with lush greenery. The old apple trees of Great Hollow, a former orchard, are exploding with sweetness all over the place, a reminder of the fleeting moments in spring, as well as the fall harvest we anticipate. The students and staff have been exploring adventures such as fire challenges, rappelling, blindfold tag, bow-drill skills, and the botanical mysteries and wonders of flowers. There never seems to be enough time in the day to explore and learn all that we wish. And of course, as much as we plan our lessons, prepare our day, and carve our time slots, nature always delivers her own agenda. Rain, water filled trails, thorn bushes, and fleeting gallops by the coyote deliver us the most vital awareness of all. And so with the momentum of the season, we run with it."
- Amanda Wilson, of the former Whole Earth Homeschool Program, excerpt taken from the Great Hollow Wilderness Homeschool Blog, Spring 2010
Series' Originally Published in the New Fairfield and Sherman Citizen News, Photos Courtesy of the New Fairfield Historical Society