Yesterday we had an impromptu visit from a true Preserve Legacy, Miss Katherine Ann Hayford Melanson. Hearing her speak of days spent on the farm as a young child was such a joy and privilege. Like coffee and conversation with an old friend this visit was good for the soul!

So what did we learn about Miss Katherine? Well…she was born in 1934 and called The Preserve (then known as Hayford in the Fields) home for most of her life until she wed Mr. Lawrence Melanson.

Her Great Grandfather Nathaniel Hayford was the founder of this glorious property and was the true visionary behind it all. He built the majority of the buildings you see on the site today as well as the original barn which then housed livestock and animals. Her role on the farm/property was waiting tables in the seasons when they welcomed guests, and tending to the farm animals.

Katherine’s room is now know as the Hayford, which is one of our favorite rooms in the original portion of the farmhouse. Her fondest memory as a child was harnessing up her St. Bernard in the winter and he would pull her around in a sled.

Thank you Katherine for sharing your cherished stories and memories with us, you were truly part of a unique and extraordinary generation and we hope to be telling similar stories well into our golden years.