This year marks the centennial milestone of Alice Ferguson’s purchase of Hard Bargain Farm, situated along the Potomac River on ancestral land of the Piscataway people. Check out the history of its purchase and how this historic property has transformed over the last century. Enjoy!
The year is 1922. Insulin is used for the first time to treat diabetes, the United States Supreme Court rules that baseball is in fact a sport and not a business, and the first two-color Technicolor film, The Toll of the Sea premieres. What a year this was for setting the foundation for future generations.
One hundred years ago, Alice Ferguson searched for a property where she and her husband Henry could escape the hustle and bustle of Washington DC and host gatherings for their family and friends. For Alice, that special place was Hard Bargain Farm, located in Accokeek, Maryland. The Henry agreed to her purchase which included a dilapidated farmhouse, several farm structures, fields, woodlands, wetlands, streams, the Potomac shoreline, a view of Mount Vernon, and a beautiful rolling landscape. This year the Alice Ferguson Foundation celebrates 100 years since Alice’s purchase of Hard Bargain Farm.
Alice named the Farm “Hard Bargain”, after an old estate in Maryland. Where Bryan Point Road takes off from Livingston Road was often as close as you could get to the property by car. Wilton, their chauffeur often had to pick them up and/or drop them off there by horse or buggy.*
For many years, Hard Bargain Farm and its breathtaking view of the Potomac was the backdrop for the Fergusons and their many gatherings. More than that, it was the birthplace of today’s Moyaone Community and partial formation of Piscataway Park. Let’s take a look at how the property has changed over the last century.
1924
The Ferguson Farmhouse was constructed on the site of a two-story frame house that collapsed when efforts were made to restore it for use by the Fergusons. The iconic Blue Barn, granary and corn crib were constructed at about the same time as the house.
Early 1930’s
Henry and Alice Ferguson built an amphitheater in a natural ravine at Hard Bargain Farm. The original stage was merely a half circle of concrete laid in what used to be a gravel pit. For many years, it was used primarily for dances. However, the Fergusons used this place also to gather with friends, dressing up in elaborate costumes and putting on spontaneous plays for their own amusement.
1933
The milking barn (used today for visiting students) was built.
1951
Shortly after Alice’s death, Henry generously donates Hard Bargain Farm to the community.
October 24, 1954
Henry Ferguson established the Alice Ferguson Foundation as a non-profit organization to honor the historic and artistic contributions made by his wife, Alice.
“It has so many different environmental features – rivers, streams, hills, farmland, beaver dams, marsh. It has it all, in a very compact way. There’s so much opportunity to teach every little aspect of the ecosystem,” said Kay Powell, a current Board member and former Executive Director of the Alice Ferguson Foundation, during an interview about her memories of Hard Bargain Farm. Kay, a proud resident of the Moyaone community, also served as a park ranger and extra set of hands on the farm, where she could be “a kid at heart.”
1966
A loosely gathered group of theater-loving amateurs started the Hard Bargain Players and helped to upgrade the amphitheater with the construction of a full-length wooden stage.
1968
The Alice Ferguson Foundation transferred ownership of 85 acres between the current farm property and the Potomac River to the National Park Service to ensure its protection from nearby development. The land transfer included the one condition that the Foundation would retain the right to use the land for activities consistent with the Foundation’s educational mission.
1976
Named after G.B. “Bernie” Wareham, the first Executive Director of the Alice Ferguson Foundation, the Wareham Lodge was constructed to be a learning and sleeping space for the students visiting Hard Bargain Farm for day and overnight stays. Over the next 40 years, the Lodge became a beloved space where memories were created, and a home base for the students who went on nature adventures, formed friendships, and explored the farm and its surroundings.
“My father was so dedicated to this place. He made an attempt to meet every school bus that pulled in and to greet the kids visiting that day,” recalled Bud Wareham during an interview about his connection to Hard Bargain Farm. Bud is a former Board Member of the Alice Ferguson Foundation and son of Bernie Wareham, our first Executive Director. During his childhood and well into his adult years, Bud spent many days here on the Farm as a close neighbor, farm hand, cleanup volunteer, and actor in the Hard Bargain Players.
2002
The Amphitheater was refurbished with the support of grants from the State of Maryland and the Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County. A sound booth was constructed, electricity was rewired, and lights were added to the parking area. The following year new pine decking, catwalk, roof, railings, and steps were installed.
2013
A fully accessible boardwalk, replete with observation stations completed construction, meandering through an emergent wetland thereby complementing the notion of nature as classroom.
2015
The Alice Ferguson Foundation unveils its net-zero impact student center. In keeping with the Foundation’s mission, the Living Building stands in harmony with nature and is used both as a classroom and as a teaching tool. This is the first phase of the Potomac Watershed Study Complex capital improvement project.
2018
The Ferguson Farmhouse received much needed repairs and a fresh coat of paint. We restored rotted window frames, replaced sill rot along the foundation and roofline of the farmhouse and outbuildings, repaired the chimney and replaced bricks damaged in the 2011 earthquake. Some much needed repairs were also done to the stormwater drainage system.
2019
Nearly 100 years of age, our barnyard buildings got a much-needed refresh, returning it to its original 1930’s blue glory. Also during this year, the Wareham Lodge was taken down.
Late Fall 2022
An Education Pavilion is constructed where the Wareham Lodge once stood, marking the end of the Potomac Watershed Study Complex capital improvement project. The pavilion will serve as a host to school groups, community residents, businesses, and organizations for outdoor educational programming, reinforcing the Foundation’s commitment to “nature as a classroom”.
Just as it has over the last century, Hard Bargain Farm brings people together. Today, we are overjoyed to hear the constant excitement and laughter of children enjoying the great outdoors from our offices in the Ferguson Farmhouse, and through our community events our neighbors and friends are able to enjoy the Farm’s unique charm and create memories that will last a lifetime.
So what’s next?
“My hope for the future is that by visiting Hard Bargain Farm, it reignites people’s love for the natural world,” shared Powell.
“My hope would be that we continue to educate kids as my father started and others have continued to do,” shared Wareham.
Without the dedication of the Fergusons, Hard Bargain Farm as we know it would not exist today. We are grateful for the hard work done by those who came before us. As our centennial year comes to a close, we are hopeful for the future and eager to see what’s in store, for both Hard Bargain Farm and the Alice Ferguson Foundation. Here’s to continuing to cherish and protect this special place for generations to come.
The legacy of the Fergusons and history of Hard Bargain Farm is fascinating and encompasses much more than we could fit into a blog. To learn more about this remarkable property and its beginnings visit fergusonfoundation.org/who-we-are/our-history
*Excerpt from Charles Wagner’s A Rambling History of the Moyaone Reserve