M»-Unc«tw Finning, s.turj. y , Novtmiwr 22. two Century Farm award winner
Brossmans farm near Fivepointville since 1832
FIVEPOINTVILLE -
William B. and Fern Furlow
Brossman are the proud
owners of a 103-acre Lan
caster County farm that this
week received the
designation of Century
Farm. '
According to Fem, the
reason she applied for the
Century Farm award was
for her sens’, Brian, Jan, and
William F., heritage. She
explained she had read
about the program in an
article published in a Lan
caster newspaper, written
by County Extension Agent
Max Smith.
In order to complete the
application, Fem said Brian
went to the county cour
thouse and began resear
ching the farm’s history.
“We were able to trace the
farm in the Brossman mine
Bishop
assistant editor
PULASKI, NY - Robert
M. Bishop has been named
assistant editor of Holstein
World, the nation’s leading
dairy breed magazine with a
circulation of nearly 34,000
readers.
He joined the magazine’s
parent company, Holstem-
Fnesian World, Inc., Sandy
Creek, NY, in November
1979 as editor and ad
vertising manager of
another of their three
magazines, Pennsylvania
Holstein News.
He will continue in that
capacity m addition to his
duties on the World staff.
The new assistant editor is
experienced in both media
and the Holstein industry.
Prior to joining Holstem-
Fnesian World, Inc., he was
farm program director of
WDLA radio station, Walton,
NY, where he prepared daily
newscasts for farm
audiences.
Previously, -he was
associated with Young’s,
Inc , Roaring Spring, as both
a livestock nutritional
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1730 Highway 72 North, Lebanon/PA 17042
back to 1832, hut we know
there were Brossmans here
before that,” Fern said.
According to the county
records, Jacob Brossman
took title to the farm on April
4, 1832. Then, on March 27,
1847, the farm passed to
Jacob’s son, John.
On April 3,1869, John’s son
William became the owner
of the Brossman farm, and
he, in turn, sold it to his son
John on March 14, 1834.
“Grandfather John used to
drive the stagecoach to
Reading from the
Fivepointville area,” Fern
recalled.
Then, on April 8, 1907,
William F Brossman took
title to the farm and sold it to
his son, William B. on
January 15,1944 for slightly
over $6OOO.
named
f\ .
Robert M. Bishop
consultant and com
munications coordinator.
Bishop grew up working
with several registered
Holstein herds in Delaware
County, NY, most notably
the River-Del Farm of S.
Graham Jackson and Sons.
He is a native of Walton,
NY, and a 1976 graduate of
Mornsville State College
with a degree in journalism.
He and his family will
continue to bve at Pulaski.
“BacK then, my husband
paid for the farm probably
what it would bring per acre
today,” Fem exclaimed
She also pointed out that in
every transaction made up
until the time her husband
purchased the - farm in
January, 19447 all the land
transfers were made around
the first of April.
“Back m those days,
everyone moved the latter
part of March-beginning of
April,” Fern remarked.
“Sometimes people were'
moving out on the same day
someone else was moving in.
It was tradition.”
The history of the house on
the Brossman property is not
documented, but Fern said
she believes it is at least as
old as the bam, built in 1849.
“The house, built out of
log, was erected in stages,”
she said. The wide-plank
hardwood floors reveal
where additions were con
structed onto the original
two-story, two-room house.
Within the past ten years,
the Brossmans undertook
the enormous task of
restoring the bam and
house.
The buildings on the Brossman homestead were built during the mid
nineteenth century, and were recently restored under the watchful eyes of Fern
Brossman.
“We started on the barn
first, repointing the stones,
replacing the roof, and
applying a fresh coat of red
pamt. Then we went to work
on the house, making sure
we kept it as original as
possible. All the old hard
ware is still on the doors -
you know no one makes locks
like those any more. And we
kept all the flooring, chair
rails and coat rails.”
The farmland is currently
being fanned by two tenant
farmers. In previous years,
however, the Brossmans
raised com, wheat, and
tobacco.
Fern and son, William,
tend and care for a smifo
fruit orchard and plant or
vegetable garden each year
Fem, who was bom and
raised on a farm in Clay
Township, said she still
enjoys farming.
“It’s something you can
never learn by reading
books,” she said —SM