Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center to Close On Purchase of Hammerstein Home

The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center (OHMTEC) will mark the official closing on the nonprofit’s purchase of Oscar Hammerstein II’s  historic home and workplace with a celebratory event at the property, Highland Farm in Doylestown,  Bucks County, Pennsylvania this Monday, December 4 at noon. Festivities will include remarks by  OHMTEC board president Greg Roth and songs by the Lenape Middle School Choir under the  direction of Jaime Rogers. Members of the Hammerstein family will be in attendance. Media are invited to see the historic property where the famed lyricist lived with his family and where he collaborated with composer Richard Rodgers to create some of musical theatre’s best-known and  loved shows, including The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, South Pacific and others. Highland Farm is  located at 70 East Road, Doylestown, PA. 

Roth noted, “The board is thrilled that the local community lent their voices and their support to the  nationwide choir of advocates. As with any legacy project, it takes an entire cast of people coming  together – volunteers, financial supporters, and ‘cockeyed optimists’ – to envision and bring the  dream to reality. Preserving this important historic landmark is a milestone moment for our  community, county, state, and country.” 

Financial support for the project came from hundreds of individuals and organizations across the  country and the world, including a grant from the Miranda Family Fund, the charitable foundation  of playwright and composer Lin Manuel Miranda, and the estate of philanthropist and  Hammerstein family friend Ronald Franklin Pratt. Additional funding was provided by the Bucks  County Industrial Development Authority and the state of Pennsylvania through the  Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). 

TJ Lonergan, Executive Director of the Bucks County Industrial Development Authority, expressed  enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We are honored to play a part in the preservation and revitalization of the historic Highland Farm into the Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre  Education Center. This redevelopment project is a testament to the enduring legacy of the great  Oscar Hammerstein, and we are proud to be a part of the celebration of his invaluable contributions  to the arts and to our Bucks County community.” 

Dubbed the “Birthplace of the Modern American Musical,” Highland Farm was Hammerstein’s home and  creative epicenter for the last 20 years of his life. It is where the Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration was born and the inspiration for many of their works, including South Pacific, based on the novel by author  James Michener, also a Doylestown native. Remarkably, at Highland Farm Oscar met and mentored a  young Stephen Sondheim, who has said “In one afternoon [at Highland Farm], I learned more about  songwriting than most people do in a lifetime.” Over 75 Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards,  and Pulitzer Prizes can be directly traced back to Highland Farm. 

OHMTEC’s mission is to honor the Broadway legend’s groundbreaking work as a lyricist, librettist,  mentor, and humanitarian and to educate and inspire generations of creators and theatre-lovers, with special opportunities for diverse and underserved communities. The nonprofit’s vision is to restore the historic property and create a multifaceted and dynamic museum experience with a strong theatre  education component.  

Hammerstein’s role as a mentor and humanitarian will play a large role in the forthcoming theatre education  center. Plans include a youth theater company; classes in theater, dance, and music production; mentorship  programs for young adults and emerging professionals; school programming; writer’s retreats; and outreach  programs for all ages, both in-person and virtual. Consistent with the nonprofit’s goal to provide learning  opportunities for all, programming fees will be on a sliding scale, and no one will be turned away. 

Fundraising has begun in earnest for the next phase of the project: preparing physical infrastructure  for public use, restoring the historic home, and curating the museum. The fourth and final phase of  the project will be to create a theatre education center on the property currently occupied by the historic barn. 

A generous donor is providing a match for all gifts up to $90,000 through the end of the year. Contributions of any amount can be made by check, credit card or appreciated securities. Naming opportunities are  available for rooms and spaces in the house and barn. Donations can be made at  

hammersteinmuseum.org/donate. For more information email hammersteinmuseum@gmail.com. 

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