Resting on nearly 1000 acres, Malabar Farm is Located in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Plateau in Lucas, Ohio, and was the home of legendary Author and Conservationist, Louis Bromfield. Inspired by his love of the land, Bromfield restored the rich fertility of the farmlands and preserved the beauty of the woodlands.
“The Big House,” as Bromfield fondly referred to his dwelling, began w
ith a small existing farmhouse as a base and was enlarged into this 32-room home. The house, designed by both architect Louis Lamoreux and Bromfield, is a blend of Western Reserve architectural styles and was built to appear as if it had been added to over the years. Bromfield furnished the house predominantly in a French style with the original paintings and antiques collected during his world travels. Today, the Big House uses state-of-the-art, geo-thermal technology for heating, cooling, and humidification. This system helps preserve the contents of the house. The main barn is the largest building at the complex. It has a colorful mural of horses and a wagon painted on the door. On April 4, 1993, the barn tragically burned to the ground. Although modified to meet modern building standards, the new structure uses the same traditional construction methods perfected by the colonists. Many pieces of vintage farming implements are on display here. In his book, Pleasant Valley, Bromfield wrote, "Every inch of it (the house) has been in hard use since it was built and will, I hope go on being used in the same fashion so long as it stands. Perhaps one day it will belong to the state together with the hills, valleys and woods of Malabar Farm." Bromfield's prophecy came true in August 1972, when the State of Ohio accepted the deed to Malabar Farm. The state pledged to preserve the beauty and ecological value of the farm. Earlier that year, Bromfield's legacy to future generations came close to being extinguished. Malabar Farm, owned and operated by the Louis Bromfield Malabar Farm Foundation for 14 years, was threatened with foreclosure. But the Noble Foundation, which held the mortgage, agreed to erase the mortgage and accrued interest -- about $280,000 -- when the State of Ohio accepted Malabar Farm as a gift to the people of Ohio. From 1972 to 1976, Malabar Farm was operated jointly by Ohio's Department of Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture. Then in 1976, Malabar became one of Ohio's state parks. As a park, Malabar Farm is dedicated to perpetuating Bromfield's farming philosophies, preserving the Big House and its many artifacts, and providing a place where visitors can explore life on a farm and the beauty of nature. On April 4, 1993 the main barn tragically burned to the ground. Through volunteers of the Timber Framers Guild of North America, a new barn was raised in September 1994. Although modified for modern building standards, the new structure used the same traditional construction methods perfected by the colonists. Mt. Olive Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Pleasant Valley, holds the many characters referred to in Bromfield’s Pleasant Valley. Dating back to the 1820s, it is the resting place of the Bromfields and early pioneers from the valley.
