Oscar Hammerstein Museum Secures Funding to Purchase Historic Highland Farm

The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education  Center received a $500,000 gift from the Estate of philanthropist Ronald  Franklin Pratt that will allow the nonprofit to secure Highland Farm, Hammerstein’s family  home and creative epicenter in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. For the past several weeks, OHMTEC  has been engaged in a matching gift fundraising campaign to raise the remaining $1 million  necessary to purchase the property. $500,000 in matching funds were offered by the nonprofit’s  Executive Committee. Over $567,000 was raised towards the match in total. 

“We were excited and honored to receive this timely and generous donation from Mr. Pratt,” said  Greg Roth, OHMTEC board president. “He leaves a wonderful legacy which will be providing  future generations with the opportunity to learn about musical theater and Oscar Hammerstein’s  notable works, and his messages of acceptance and inclusivity. We are grateful to Mr. Pratt, as  well as Andy Hammerstein, who in their conversations over the years, discussed the vision for  this project. This generous donation, along with those of all who have contributed along the way, is an important part of preserving and protecting this historic property and the legacy of Oscar  Hammerstein, the lyricist, the librettist, mentor, and humanitarian.” 

Ronald Franklin Pratt was a public relations strategist and resident of Statesboro, Georgia until  his death in July 2021. Having begun his career as a reporter/journalist in Savannah in 1971,  Pratt spearheaded the largest public relations firms in San Francisco, providing expertise in crisis  management and strategic development. As a journalist, Ron received numerous honors for his  investigative reporting, including an Associated Press Enterprise award for a radio feature on the Watergate break-in. He was a winner of the IABC Gold Quill, one of the highest honors in  business communication.

Ron was very active in the arts, including serving as president of the Hilton Head Institute for  Arts, director of the Hilton Head Jazz Festival and as VP for the San Francisco Council on  Entertainment. He became acquainted with Oscar “Andy” Hammerstein, grandson of Oscar  Hammerstein II, on Facebook, and they became friends. “It quickly became clear that he [Pratt]  possessed both a vast knowledge of my family’s history and generous temperament,” said  Hammerstein. “He was a genuine rarity - a true gentleman. Years later, when I had booked a talk  based upon Oscar Hammerstein’s politics, Ron flew from Savannah, Georgia to attend. As it was  a ragged maiden voyage of a presentation, I assured him it was understandably miss-able. And  yet there he was, offering generous support. I honestly feel like a lucky man to have known  him.” 

In a statement issued by the Pratt Estate, Executor Lydia Lee Daley noted, “Ron’s passion was  musical theatre and he especially loved Oscar Hammerstein and his productions. He would be  thrilled to know he had a part in helping fund the future of the museum and education center.”  

Oscar Hammerstein II lived with his family at Highland Farm for the last 20 years of his life. This is  the place where he forged his legendary partnership with Richard Rodgers and that inspired many of  their greatest musical works, including The Sound of Music, Carousel, The King and I, Oklahoma! and  South Pacific, and where he mentored a young Stephen Sondheim. Over 75 Academy Awards,  Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Pulitzer Prizes can be directly traced back to Highland Farm. 

OHMTEC’s mission is to honor the Broadway legend’s groundbreaking work as a lyricist, librettist, mentor, and humanitarian and to educate and inspire the next generation of theatre  afficionados, with special opportunities for diverse and underserved communities. The  nonprofit’s vision is to purchase, restore and preserve the historic property and create a  multifaceted and dynamic museum experience with a strong theatre education component.  

Following the purchase of the Highland Farm property which will take place in coming weeks,  fundraising will begin in earnest in order to commence the next phase of the project: preparing  physical infrastructure for public use, restoring the historic home, and curating the museum. The  fundraising target for this third phase is estimated to be at least $1,500,000. The fourth and final  phase of the project will be to create a theatre education center on the property currently  occupied by the historic barn. 

Hammerstein’s role as a mentor and humanitarian will play a large role in the forthcoming theatre  education center. Plans include a youth theater company; classes in theater, dance, and music  production; mentorship programs for young adults and emerging professionals; school programming;  writer’s retreats; and outreach programs for all ages, both in-person and virtual. Consistent with the  nonprofit’s goal to provide learning opportunities for all, programming fees will be on a sliding scale,  and no one will be turned away. 

Individuals and entities interested in being a part of this legacy project can visit OHMTEC’s donation  page at HammersteinMuseum.org. Contributions of any amount can be made by check, credit card or  appreciated securities. Naming opportunities are available for rooms and spaces in the house and barn.  For more information email hammersteinmuseum@gmail.com.