IBM Buys South Road Tract for Park

123-Acre Farm of Millers Taken for Recreation Site

Poughkeepsie New Yorker, Tuesday June 2, 1942

Plans for the development of a recreational center to be made available to employes of the South road munitions plant of the International Business Machines corporation were made public today by Fred M. Farwell, resident manager of the local industrial organization.

The IBM has taken title to the 123-acre farm property of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore H. Miller, south of Kingwood park, and east of the present 215-acre holdings of the company.

To Build Clubhouse

Speaking on behalf of Thomas J. Watson, president of the Business Machine corporation, Mr. Farwell said that the munitions firm plans eventually to construct a clubhouse on the new property, and proved a golf course; tennis courts and other facilities for recreation. Intimating that war conditions would not permit full development of the property for the time being, Mr. Farwell said, however, that it may be possible to establish picnic grounds on the premises and arrange outings during the summer.

"It is Mr. Watson's plan," said Mr. Farwell, "to do everything possible to provide and maintain recreational facilities for IBM employes. With a war on, it may not be possible for him to do as much as he would like for the present."

Mr. Farwell said that during periods of normal operation - under the 40-hour-a-week schedule, as at Endicott, N.Y. organization - the IBM has laid great stress on developing recreational programs for its employes.

Ernest I. Hatfield, was the broker who handled the sale of the Miller property to the IBM. The consideration was not mentioned although stamps on the papers of transfer at the county clerk's office indicated a possible price in the neighborhood of $30,000. Mr. Miller, who is works manager of the DeLaval Separator company, was represented in the transaction by John B. Grubb and Thomas F. Purcell, while the IBM was represented by John E. McHugh Jr. of the New York office of the company, and John B. Van De Water of this city.

The Millers have owned the property for 30 years. Their home is in Kingwood park, north of the farm property. The new IBM tract has been known as Cedar Hill farm, a large part of it now being used for agricultural purposes.

The eight-room house on the property, at one time occupied by the Millers, has been rented by tenant farmers from time to time. Present occupants were said to have received notice to vacate the premises by July 1. The Casperkill creek runs through the property at its easternmost end, and the tract, with frontage on South road, directly south of Kingwood park, has a depth toward the east of about one mile. There are some magnificent high points on the property, from which a view as far as Newburgh may be had.

In connection with development of the IBM industrial acreage, entirely west of the South road, the Common Council last night deliberated upon the company's request for extension of the city water service to the employes' houses which are to be constructed on the property.

While contracts were proposed by the Board of Public Works for construction of a water line and supplying water on a basis where there would be no capital outlay on the part of the city, the council decided that it would review all the contracts before granting permission for the extension of the water main service.

Alderman Kirchner raised the chief question over the advisability of the city's giving its consent for the extension of the water service to the housing project until the council reviewed the contracts.

On behalf of the company, Mr. Farwell presented a new plan for a deal with the city on the use of its water. Under the original plan, the city was eventually to pay for 60 percent of the cost of installation, the municipality to accept is share of the cost through water rentals, although the company is to supply all the capital for the project. The company turned down the 60-40 proposition because the municipality did not agree to extend services to each of the new houses, but only to the South road property. Under the new plan, the company assumes the original outlay for complete service to all houses, but asks that it be reimbursed 80 percent of the capital expenditures in the form of water rentals.

The city is to receive revenue at double rates inasmuch as the property is outside the city limits. The obligation is to become fully paid in 15 years.