Rocky Corner’s 33 acres were part of a larger farm owned by the Meyers/Halter family. The land was in the original center of Bethany Parish near a church and a schoolhouse. In the 1800’s, the family produced vegetables and eggs on Rocky Corner Farm. Before she died in the 1990’s, Elsie Halter
cared for up to 30 dairy cows, walking them through the stonewall-lined pastures we still see today. Portions of the larger farm were sold off as the years passed, and adjoining land is now owned by Yale, the Regional Water Authority, and other private landowners.
The original 1750s-era farmhouse was still standing until a couple of years ago. The lower portion of the house had disintegrated due to water infiltration, mold and dry rot. We hired Urban Miners to deconstruct the house. We will use the valuable chestnut boards in our common house or when rebuilding the farmhouse. 
There is one pear tree remaining from Elsie Halter’s small orchard. We have rescued some scion from this delicious pear tree. Our friend Michael Calhoun has used the scion to propagate some new trees for us. There are several other excellent tree specimens including productive chestnuts, black walnut, sugar maple, red and white oak. The soil is excellent quality having been cow pasture for years. It needs weeding, deep ripping to eliminate the plow pan, and cover cropping to revitalize it. We will work to bring back the native species of plants and grasses through rotational grazing of ruminants and poultry. Ponds are planned which will fill from natural run-off, to enhance habitat for increased species diversity.
Our land is adjacent to protected watershed owned by the Regional Water Authority. Lake Chamberlain is one of the primary reservoirs for the city of New Haven. It lies a short distance due east of Rocky Corner. The lake is surrounded by trails which can be used for 
hiking, horseback riding and skiing. A public access walking and horse trail easement will run around a small portion of the Rocky Corner property, across neighboring 100+ acre Spykman Preserve, to the Water Authority land and reservoir.