Fieldstone Farm, is located on Route 62, Hubbardston Road, just a few miles beyond the historic west village of Princeton, MA. The historic dairy farm is a landmark in town, with its grand white colonial home, massive, yet sadly abandoned, red cow barn, and stone-edged irrigation pond flanking the main road. When Ruth Smith passed away in 2012, concern spread over the future of the extensive farmland. The extended Smith family is currently in discussions with developers, and the site is being tested for development potential. Over 100 acres of meadows, successional fields, woodland, and wetland are up for review and capacity. Currently, several tenants who maintain the homestead occupy the house, and an adjacent three-acre field is being actively farmed for vegetable and flower production by a local tenant farmer. The Princeton Land Trust is at the forefront of studying the land use potential on behalf of the Town. This studio focused on siting appropriate uses on abandoned farmland, balancing the need for housing, agriculture, and unique cultural opportunities with the preservation of sensitive open space for passive recreational use and wildlife habitat
