Last updated: June 22, 2023
Place
Truants' Meadow
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
Weir Farm National Historical Park
Amenities
5 listed
Cellular Signal, Pet Waste Disposal, Pets Allowed, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trailhead
As seen in Julian Alden Weir's painting The Old Rock, now known as The Truants, this meadow exemplifies the dynamic nature of a cultural landscape.
History:
Once a large open field leading to the pond, the meadow is slowly reverting to the encroaching forest behind it. As a result, the meadow is now actively maintained through woodland edge management and annual mowing.
Weir would occasionally paint from his "Palace Car," a studio built with assistance of his resident farmer, Paul Remy. Set on runners and pulled by oxen, the car had windows on four sides and an oil stove, making it a portable, all-season studio. Immortalized in Weir's painting, Landscape: Branchville, The Palace Car, it eventually became a playhouse for his children.