Notchview, the Long View: A Photo Gallery

From rugged homesteads to (moderately) grand estates to a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts, the 3,000-acre property now known as Notchview tells a long story of our changing relationship to the land. The second in our series of special articles, FLASHBACKS, Vol. 2, looked in some detail at some of the personalities behind the properties that eventually coalesced into Helen and Arthur Budd's Notch View estate. Deeded to the Trustees of Reservations on the death of Col. Budd in 1965,  Notchview is now a favorite winter and summer destination for hikers, cross-country skiers, star-gazers and birders.

At one time, there were some twenty farms and homesteads on this hilltop land. Sheep, cattle, lumber and charcoal, and maple syrup were all produced here. At the start of the 20th century, smaller properties began to be combined to form larger landholdings. Eventually, two large estates remained:  Friendship Farm, owned by Elisabeth C. T. Miller, a somewhat eccentric Ohio heiress; and Notch View Farm, owned by Helen Gamwell Ely Budd.  Here, we've put together a slide show focused on the history of this very special part of Windsor. Thanks to both the Trustees of Reservations and the Windsor Historical Commission for access to photos and other materials. 

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