Robert Frost's cherished farm in Derry, N.H.
(Suzanne Kreiter/ Globe Staff)
N.H. looks to road not taken
Town may alter zoning laws near Frost farm
Robert Frost's cherished farm in Derry, N.H.
(Suzanne Kreiter/ Globe Staff)
DERRY, N.H. - Robert Frost arrived at the farm known as Magoon Place in 1900 gripped by despair. He was mourning the death of a son, guilt-ridden about placing his ailing mother in a sanitarium, and nursing what he mistakenly believed was a case of tuberculosis. But in the quiet of the farm, bounded by woods and fields, the poet found solace and drew inspiration for some of his most celebrated works.
Today, the farm that Frost called “the core of all my writings’’ looks much as it did in his day, the L-shaped farmhouse and barn restored, the woods and fields surrounding them like an apron of green and gold.
But some Frost fans say the farm is poised to be stripped of its essence. Derry officials are considering zoning changes that could permit strip malls, fast food outlets, or big-box stores to rise a short distance from Frost’s home.
“It would mean the compromise of a real gem,’’ said Charles Dent, cochairman of the board of trustees of the Robert Frost Farm, which is leading opposition to the change, along with the state Bureau of Historic Sites, which operates the farm for the state.
Town officials say that opening the area to more commercial development would be fiscally savvy, both for the town and the farm. The additional development would reap dollars in the form of property tax paid by the businesses and would make the farm more attractive to tourists, said Dave Granese, chairman of Derry’s Planning Board.
“Right now, someone coming from Southern Massachusetts to see the Robert Frost Farm would have to drive 3 miles down the road to get a soda or a tonic,’’ Granese said. “If there was something right there, they could stay right there.’’
The development has been proposed in a part of the state that has undergone dramatic transformation. The population of southern New Hampshire has exploded in recent decades, with development racing along to accommodate the new arrivals.
Some 69,000 acres of open space and agricultural land have been lost since the 1960s in 13 towns, according to the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission.
The impact on Derry has been heavy, with strip malls and housing developments taking up much of its once pastoral land. The Frost Farm remains one of the town’s most notable green spaces - touted by the town, with a photo of the farm and its greenery stripped across the top of the town website home page.
The road that the Frost Farm fronts - Route 28 - is a busy thoroughfare, serving as a key north-south artery. Already, some development dots the roadside. To the north, there is a Dollar Bill’s Discount World, a
Yet none are within sight of the farm. The new zoning - to “general commercial’’ - would permit larger enterprises on land that abuts the Frost Farm or is within its sightlines.
Granese said the Planning Board is “treading lightly’’ on the proposed change, and will probably include strict parameters on businesses that seek to open in the area near the farm, such as restricting sign size and height of buildings, as the board recently did with a
“We said, ‘In this area, it’s New England charm. We want it painted a neutral color. We want clapboard,’ ’’ Granese said. “We said, ‘You can’t have flashing neon.’ ’’
But opponents said such restrictions could be overridden.
“It’s difficult to regulate general commercial,’’ said Benjamin Wilson, director of the state Bureau of Historic Sites. “If you had a development company come in and purchase parcels as they came up, they could possibly build a Wal-Mart.’’
At the turn of last century, the Frost Farm was an isolated spot, 2 miles from town. Frost’s uncle had purchased the property for him, fearing he had no professional direction.
When Frost arrived with his wife and daughter, fleeing Lawrence, where they had been evicted, local farmers thought him eccentric (he milked his cows late at night). Some called him lazy. But in the rural rhythms, Frost found his muse - propelling collections such as “A Boy’s Will,’’ “North of Boston,’’ and “Mountain Interval.’’
Frost lived on the farm from 1900 to 1909, when he moved his family to Derry village to be closer to Pinkerton Academy, where he had taken a teaching position.
In 1911, he sold the farm for $1,100 and used the money to finance a three-year adventure in England. The farm fell into disrepair and became an auto junkyard called Frost Acres. Frost later tried to buy the property, but the owner refused to sell.
In 1965, two years after Frost’s death, the state purchased the property, and in 1974 began renovations.
On a recent day, Beaman Cole of nearby Chester was at the farm painting its scene. Asked how he would feel about strip malls in view of the farm, he said, “Development has to happen I suppose.’’
John Malone of Independence, Mo., visiting the farm with his son and grandson, said the town should resist the lure of development dollars.
“The town is taking advantage of a situation to make some money,’’ he said, as he headed off into the woods behind the field. “But I say, leave this alone.’’
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
