Broadacres Legacy

The place and its people-Honora, her immediate family and her extended family (students, friends, neighbors, etc.)-have become a community asset of Sudbury. Why? The place is, at its simplest, land. But, this place also embodies the vision of its owner, the spirit of those who worked there, and the heart of a community. As you will read, Honora and her siblings were raised by a fiercely intelligent woman who was born in Maine and graduated from Smith College in 1904. As a single mother in her forties, she adopted three unrelated children and imbued in them those virtues and characteristics that were most important to her. When Honora was in her thirties, single, and also a college graduate (at a time when few women matriculated), she became determined to create a business. Almost wholly on their own, she and her sister worked the 'Maenpaa Farm,' turning it into a small equine breeding and training operation, and achieving a half-century of success that ultimately developed into Broadacres Farm, complete with boarding and growing to encompass several equestrian disciplines. More importantly for our story, though, is Honora's influence. From her, children learned independence and responsibility; adults (mostly professional women) braved the physical risks associated with equine sports and gained life lessons: all who had contact with Broadacres experienced the joy and satisfaction of doing something they loved in an environment of unwavering support. 'Knowing Honora changed my life,' was said often and earnestly.