It is with great pride that, this past month, Drumm re-opened Swinney Hall after nearly 30 years.  This feat was only possible with the support of our friends and community as well as exemplary stewardship on the part of the Drumm Board of Directors.  We cannot thank you enough for giving us the opportunity to serve more children here at Drumm Farm Center for Children.

We also recently unveiled our new logo. We are excited about this new look which reflects our name change to the Drumm Farm Center for Children. Watch for more updates and changes coming soon, including a new website.

More than 40 alumni and their families visited recently as part of the annual Drumm Alumni Weekend, held the third Saturday of July.  Attending the event were alumni from 1951 to 2008.  More than 750 children have lived at Drumm since its founding in 1919.  Drumm's legacy is the foundation of our future!

The Drumm Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8 am - noon. Our kids work in the garden and sell produce at the Market. We hope to have you visit us soon; the tomatoes are awesome!

Thank you so much for being a part of the Drumm Family.

Historic properties deserve attention from every aspect of design so that we represent a true picture of a past period of time. We carefully chose light fixtures in the public office areas that are reproduction period pieces: copies of gas/electric chandeliers and sconces that are much like what would have been in this home in the late 1800's. The metalwork of brass is antique, much the way that fixtures became with a little age.

The walls are painted period appropriate colors that were gleaned from a few details of

plaster, buried below woodwork and found under a few remaining wallpaper scabs and closets. Trims around the ceiling are accented with a deeper version of gold which adds to the grand look of rimming the room with deep moldings and detail. People of this period were not afraid of color, but used it wisely and sometimes sparingly if it was a deep color. Today these deep colors add richness without being overwhelming.

Bridging the transition to the 2nd floor is a restored stained glass window; this window is restored in such a way that one can not even tell which parts are original and which parts are new. Another restoration here is that of the grand staircase. Bert Schwaller, of Costa Corporation, worked tirelessly to restore many missing or broken spindles and was able to restore the curved bannister when it was discovered in the basement.

At the rear of the home, you find the more contemporary touches, as this part of the home was added later and is not part of the original structure. We used gold-tan and blue-grey vinyl slate texture kitchen and bathroom floors in this area. Teenage males living on the 3rd floor are greeted with cool greens a relaxing and complementary color to be used with the

recurrent red brick wall that are part of this upper level. 

All of these details together make the renovation of the Swinney Hall an excellent investment in Drumm Farm Center for Children and its facilities. Swinney will continue to serve people and tell a story of a home, from the past, in a beautiful and inspiring way. It is a powerful testimony of Drumm's rich heritage and the legacy to come.

Paul Helmer, an architect, is Principal of the company TOUCH OF DISTINCTION color and design. The company specializes in: period color consultation, renovation planning, faux finishes, murals and period landscape design.