Praise for Saving the Farm; A Journey through Time, Place, and Redemption
Jim Powers's Saving the Farm is local history as it should be written. This is an account of the efforts of a dedicated troop of amateur historians to bring to alive life as it was lived on one of Connecticut's typical farms. Powers does this by telling the story of the reconstruction of a house and barn in North Guilford. The Readers' interest in consistently held through descriptive chapters interspersed with contemporaneous documents and flashbacks to the to the late 17th century beginnings of the Dudley family in New England. The activities of individual members of the family are sketched in detail and provided with context and explanations of all the techniques and requirements of agriculture and associated work such as water mill construction and tanning, Powers's book is charmingly written, interestingly constructed and most informative. There is no better way to gain a full and detailed picture of life on the 19th-century Connecticut farm than reading this fascinating book and paying a visit to the Dudley farm.
Christopher Collier, Professor of History, University of Connecticut and State Historian Emeritus
Jim Powers' book about the celebrated Dudley Farm of North Guilford’s is a magnus opus. Few local histories have examined and interpreted one farm in such an absorbing manner. Above all, Jim’s detailed account can serve as a road map for effecting good preservation of historic structures and properties. The greater preservation community can learn much from the example of the Dudley Foundation, which galvanized volunteer
forces to establish a unique educational museum.
Joel Helander, Municipal historian, Town of Guilford
Saving the Farm tells the story of the Dudley Farm in North Guilford Connecticut, from its raw beginnings in the 18th century to its reclamation in the 21st. But it is more than an important historical record. Few have captured better the hard work, persistence, and ingenuity needed to connect past and present. The parallels between the storied Dudley family and the modern preservationists demonstrate clearly the continuing need to band together to overcome challenges.
Eric D. Lehman, author of Bridgeport: Tales from the Park City