No Smoking

Posted by Betsy Barron (Philadelphia, PA, United States) on 27 January 2009 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.

Yes, I'm digging through some archives since I have not had much time to go out and shoot - this was taken at Laurie Jackson's family farm - a terrific place that has now been donated - Laurie - help me out here, my memory escapes me - what is it called and do you have a link!? If you don't I know Russ Devan will remind me... he knows EVERYTHING! ;-)

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Comments (8)

Russ Devan from New Hanover, United States

This is known as Hoffman Park, Bets. I don't know everything...I just fake it really, really well (don't think for a minute that I can't hear you laughing out loud at that one). Wish I had a memory 'cause then I might know even more. Think the Wizard can get me one of those?

27 Jan 2009 5:20am

Suzanne from Huntington Bch, California, United States

This is cool...trying to figure out what it's saying...nothing?

27 Jan 2009 6:32am

@Suzanne: There were other stenciled signs for "No Smoking" in the barn, but this spot was, in my opinion, not chosen very well!

zahai from Berlin, Germany

Lovely composition and colors...

27 Jan 2009 10:40am

Viewfinder from Bradenton, FL, United States

Nice touch of humor. Whoever put the window in (if the stencil was there first) was probably a smoker.

27 Jan 2009 12:54pm

john4jack from Corvallis, United States

Terrific shot.

27 Jan 2009 2:49pm

Ronnie 2¢ from London, United Kingdom

Barns are often covered in what seem to be layers of time . . some of which may be peeled away !

27 Jan 2009 9:45pm

Laurie from New Jersey, United States

I remember when you took this. It turned out great.

It was my Aunt Joyce (my mom's sister) and Uncle Albert Hoffman's farm. Her husband was Albert Hoffman of Hoffman Beverages from LONG LONG ago. They started buying property in the area in the 1930's. They held this property and many others like it, this one being their home base, and they leased the land to cattle farmers for many years.

After my Uncle died my Aunt turned the land over to the town or county. She might have sold it but it would have been very cheap as she could have made a fortune selling to developers during the real estate boom. She kept her financial and personal matters fiercely private so she would never tell us about such things. Although at the time it was turned over to the county, she was not in the best of health having suffered a major stroke. Her attorneys handled all of the legalities of the transaction and we were not involved as per her wished.

At any rate, it was turned over with the stipulation that it was to be preserved as county park land. She retained survivors rights to 50 of the acres which included the main house, this, and several other buildings up until she died a couple of years ago. She never wanted to see the land fall into the hands of developers.

The farm was a place we spent quite a few summer days playing fishing and exploring when I was a kid. To see how it has fallen into disrepair is heartbreaking but there are some hopeful signs that the buildings...some anyway, are being restored. I am of the understanding that the main house is to be used as housing for the park ranger once restorations are done.

Visit Hoffman Park for more info.

28 Jan 2009 2:52am