A great day for fundraising

June 17 was a great day for fundraising at the Marie Zimmermann Farm.

The doors were open wide and the sun streamed brightly throughout the house. People were in the living room, dining room, the back porch, and front hall. The cool sounds of The Mostly Jazz Quartet provided an element of sophistication and joy. Some danced to the samba rhythms and there was a general feeling of warmth and familiarity, as well as interesting and animated conversation.

Listening very intently, the voice of Marie Zimmermann herself could have almost been heard on the day which would have been her 144th birthday. It was a happy house and people were there to honor her legacy as an important metal artist and to help support and preserve this cultural icon and this historic mansion.

Many of those in attendance were regulars who come every year to give their support to this cultural touchstone in our area. Max Brinson, the head of Friends of Marie Zimmermann, has been with the organization since 2010. He is a very fervent advocate for preserving the property and he and his wife, Johanna LjungQvist Brinson, are enthusiastic about giving tours of the mansion to the public, “We are doing everything we can to support the property,” he said. “We are moving into a new phase now where someone is moving into the house, which makes it a lot easier for us. We can work together and share projects.”

Jenni Guizio and her business partner, Christine Collado own and operate a small, boutique wedding and private party business using the farm as their destination venue. Both have years of experience in the hospitality industry in New York, and being able to use this rural venue for weddings and parties gives them a special niche. They have done about 10 events per year thus far and their concentration is on quality and giving back to the community, recently hosting an open mic even there.

Passionate about helping to restore the grounds and landscaping to its historical grandeur, Guizio and Collado have a 10-year lease that began in 2020 with the land-owning Park Service the property. They give a portion of their earnings to the Park Service and invest in the property for improvements. They also partner with the Friends of Marie Zimmermann on special projects at the farm.

Among the newcomers at this party were John Messer and his wife Linda. Originally from Philadelphia, they are the owners of a new bed and breakfast in town where the old Craft Show used to be on East Harford Street. The new business is called John H. Wallace House, after the original owner of the property.

“Owning a B and B has always been our dream,” Linda Messer said, adding that they are very excited about being here and hope to have a grand opening party in October to celebrate John Wallace’s birthday.

It was Susan Reinhardt’s first time at the Zimmerman farm. She came early, walked all around the property with her garden boots, and then back to her car to change into party shoes for cocktail time. She got a chance to talk to Richard Cantor, drummer and founding member of the group, as well as group members Butch Campbell, Yvonne Michel, and Jeff Heard).

“The party was lovely and the music was terrific,” she said.

Aaron Stark was also there to support the event. Not quite a first-timer since he recently participated in an open mic event at the Zimmermann House and no stranger to community events, Stark is the owner of Café Wren, a new coffee house selling coffee and provisions such as knives, books, picnic supplies. He said he looks forward to an opening sometime this summer and to the coffee house being a place for nuanced conversation and community involvement.

It appears that Max Brinson’s passion to preserve the Zimmerman Farm is becoming a reality for community outreach and a catalyst for enlarging the circle.

Find more about the Marie Zimmermann House at www.friendsofmariezimmermann.org.