The Washington times., 1924-05-10
CITY OVERRUNS
ONCE.NOTED
FARM
''Edgewood," Basis Of Literary
Classic, Loses Rural
Identity.

NEW HAVEN, Conn.,, May TO-
Donald G. Mitchell's Edgewood
Farm, that upward Of half CEN
fury ago, was the basis of best
seller" in the literary world and
afterward one of Americas literary
shrines, will presently be no more
than a memory.
Ing over its bounds, with q famous
school for boys about to erect a.
group of buildings near the Nit
chell home, and with Yale laying
out q group of golf courses where
once We're woodlands. the property's
character Is now completely
Donald G. Mitchell, having pub
lished "ReYeries of a Bachelor"
and other books, came out to New
Haven, where he had been gradu-
ated from Yale years before, and
purchased large tract Of land be-
yond the city in what then seemed
hOpelessly a rural district. There
he settled and farmed many acres
and then published my Farm of
Edgewood," a treatise of farming
that in 1868 had already run into
eight editions and since has be-
come an American classic.
Writing under the name of "Ik
Marvel" Donald G. Mitchell soon
acquired an international reputa-
ton. His literary works mounted
to many volumes, and their circula-
ton ran into large figures. His
profits. apparently, were put into
the Edgewood Farm, and that in
stitution flourished and became one
OF the show places Of New Eng
land. When Mitchell died, in 1908,
the farm was gradually sold off,
and today a full one-half-then Of
level. fertile fields-is criss-crossed
with streets lined with expensive
homes and public buildings. A
population Of 10000 is living today
where grain fields flourished under
lands look across a city Of 200, 900
now, where they saw a town of
10000 in the old days.
The first OF the exclusive Yale
golf courses will be ready for use
in the Fall Of 1925. Charles Nc
Donald and Seth Raynor, Of South.
ampton, L. l., are the architects.
Some 800 acres of land were
purchased more than a year ago
and given to- Yale as a memorial
to Ray Tompkins, late of Elmira, N.
Y, who In his day was famous
Yale athlete.
The tract Is known and will be
known as Tompkins Memorial Field.
In its heart is a wee lake that
FOL iva
ming pool in summer and a skating
rink in winter. On one shore a
large club house Is to be built, and
from the house will radiate three
ninety-acre golf courses, to be fin.
ished one after another in rapid
succession.
To Build Yale Homes.
Along with the golf courses, the
tract is to be laid out in sites for
homes for Yale's faculty, who will
thus get all the rural advantages
possible.
Within the bounds of the Mitchell
farm is to be located the new home
Of Hopkins Grammar School, second
Oldest educational institution in New
England and Mother Of Yale" for
Hopkins come many years before
Elihu Yale made those gifts that
caused his name later to be added
to that of the College at New
Haven and so formed Yale College.
This school has been in continuous
existence since 1859, and after Yale
was moved to the city of New
Haven, in 1902, Hopkins continual
y prepared her students for the
college.
Tossed from pillar to post
Hopkins now is to be definitely 10
Gated on an elevation westward OF
the city center and adjoining Yale'e
football bowl, baseball field, track
and tennis courts on one side and
the golf links on the other. Many
thousands Of dollars have been col
lected for the new plant, which is
70 rise from its own campus with
work starting in the present sum
Mer.
Laid Foundation.
When "Ik Marvel" published
"Reveries of a Bachelor" he seems
to have laid the foundation for the
establishment that today Is being
chopped, blasted and dug away fol
purposes undreamed of when he
was graduated from Yale in 1S41
OF the literary shrines Of the 7O's
and SOS that made New Haven in
. small way resemble Cambridge
Mass, the Mitchell homestead re
h1ains. Past its eastern slope runs
what was then a country highway
now a paved city street lined with
pretentious cottages and filled with
motor traffic.
Across the street still stonds ths
farmers cottage" that in the sos
was built, to the establishment OF
nelghbors, from stones picked uI
on the farm, and with a half-tim
bared stucco second story. But
more heretical was the fact thai
the entrance was faced away from
the road in front instead of to
ward 1t. Today the house is. need
less to say, one OF the charming
homes of New Haven.