Find Out What
Broomgrass is All About

Broomgrass Origins

In the summer of 2002 while vacationing in the countryside, founders Lisa Dallolio and Matthew Grove of Grove & Dallolio Architects fantasized about a residential community built around environmental stewardship, organic farming, and sustainable design. Those ideas were formalized in 2004, when Lisa and Matthew formed a development company, acquired the 320 acre farm and founded Broomgrass. The concept centered on the premise that if one family can't keep the farm, perhaps sixteen families can. In 2005, the land was placed into a farmland preservation easement that protected the land indefinitely from internal development or utility seizure.  In 2006, the first home was completed and the so the adventure began!

How It Works

Since its founding, Broomgrass has operated under a set of governing documents, which include home design guidelines, bylaws, monthly dues, a farm plan framework, and designate quarterly community meetings. The Broomgrass farm plan, passed annually during the winter meeting, allows community members to coordinate the agricultural intentions they may have for the coming year, whether that be for commercial or personal purposes. Residents are free to do as much or as little as they wish in regards to agricultural activity. It's not all work, though! After the autumn meeting, the community congregates for the annual barn dance, where families share food and drink and dance until the wee hours. To read more about the community and what it means for the future of farmland protection, read this Washington Post article featuring Broomgrass.

History of the Property

The property that makes up Broomgrass has been home to many over the centuries. Native Americans were likely the first to farm the land and may have been the ones who cleared much of the existing fields. Early settlers of what was then Orange and later Frederick County, Virginia, found this land to be an attractive place to call home. A Quaker from Pennsylvania named Beeson owned some of what is now Broomgrass in the mid-19th century. British General Braddock led troops through and across the property on his way to Fort Pitt during the French & Indian War.  An early map of Berkeley County (c. 1860) was first to show a residence on the property when records indicated that the Gano family owned the land. Remnants of that early log residence, referred to as the Gano House, remain on the farm (similar styled cabin pictured).

What's Nearby

Broomgrass benefits from being a part of the largest contiguous protected farmland in the state. Stauffer's Marsh, directly across from Broomgrass along Back Creek, is a 45-acre wildlife conservancy operated by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society and includes an ever expanding network of biking and walking trails. Roughly 10 miles north is Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area, with a 205 acre lake ideal for boating and fishing (shown left), and log cabins for an extended stay. 

Broomgrass Community Association
​21 Broomgrass Way  |  Gerrardstown, WV 25420
304-267-2551