A HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE

The vision of Frederick and Catharine Burnham

Frederick Burnham, 1831-1918  & Catharine Hilliard Burnham, 1836-1917

Frederick G. Burnham and his wife Catharine had a vision for helping troubled youth in 1886. On 580 acres in Canaan, New York -- purchased from a local Shaker community and originally intended for use as a breeding farm for fine cattle -- the Burnham's created a refuge for what then called “wayward boys”.

The Burnham's believed that a stable, loving environment, contact with nature and emphasis on a strong work ethic could help these boy's overcome their past problems and start them on the road to better lives.

The Burnhams' vision and their personal commitment to making a difference in children's lives led to what is known today as Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth, one of New York State's largest and most successful agencies serving troubled children and their families.

The idea that the Farm represented a family, rather than an institution, was a major factor in its success and its powerful influence on the boys' lives. Mrs. Burnham, who is credited with suggesting the initial idea for the Farm to her husband, was the presence behind this idea of family. She got to know the boys well, and often corresponded with them after they had left the Farm and embarked on new lives.

Some of the original Shaker buildings, 1886

Transforming a vision into reality

The Burnham's came from Morristown, New Jersey, where they were very active in the church as Sunday school teachers and in nearby communities in Newark and New York City.

Mr. Burnham operated a law practice in New York, in partnership with John Van Buren, son of Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States. President Van Buren had a home in Kinderhook, New York, not far from Canaan, and it was through this association that the Burnham's most likely became acquainted with the area.

The Burnham's had many wealthy and socially prominent friends whom were interested in the work and its success. At first there were only 20 boys, then for many years 80, and then up to 100 boys. In the 32 years from the birth of Berkshire Farm to the death of Mr. Burnham in 1918, the Farm served over 1,000 boys and reported that four-fifths of them went on to a better way of life as productive members of their communities.

Berkshire builds on its success

From its start as a small residential facility for boys from New York City, Berkshire Farm grew as it began to serve youngsters from elsewhere in New York and from other states. In 1956, an aftercare division was established in the New York City office and, a decade later, this program was expanded to become the community services department. Also in 1966, an office was opened in Buffalo, and another in Schenectady to serve the Capital District and the Hudson Valley. Soon afterwards, additional offices were opened in Rochester, Syracuse and Long Island.

A continuum of community-based child care

Berkshire Community Service Worker's now are an integral part of each youth's treatment team. They act as liaisons to the students' families, and also handle intake, aftercare, and outreach to local family courts and social service departments. Nine regional, district and satellite offices also offer a continuum of community-based child welfare and juvenile justice services for girls and boys and their families. These include home and school-based placement, prevention, alternative-to-placement and reunification, foster family programs and group homes. Berkshire also provides secure detention and non-secure detention foster boarding and group care for children awaiting action in court cases.

At one time, the Farm served youngsters from seven states and the District of Columbia. Due to long travel distances, differing state requirements and payment programs and the impracticality of having Community-Based Workers in far-flung locations, services outside New York State were gradually eliminated.

The name of the organization changes

Until the 1960s, young men worked on the large farm that was a part of the Berkshire campus and provided much of the food served to the students. Economic factors and new regulations made the farming operation increasingly impractical, and it was ultimately discontinued. Today, through Berkshire's vocational training program, young men participate in job readiness classes and work in on-campus jobs in the dining hall, offices and other areas of the agency. Some also work at local restaurants and other establishments in nearby communities.

As the work of Berkshire evolved, the name of the organization changed as well:

• 1886-1894 -- Burnham Industrial Farm

• 1894-1959 -- Berkshire Industrial Farm

• 1959-1974 -- Berkshire Farm for Boys

• 1974-present -- Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth.

Berkshire Farm today

Berkshire's Residential Treatment Center in Canaan, NY serves some 600 young men annually from urban, suburban and rural areas throughout New York State. Typically, children in the program have been troubled by behavioral and emotional difficulties, family problems, substance abuse and other issues. Nearly 3,000 boys and girls struggling with similar issues are served each year in Community-Based Programs.

Expanded over the years through donations and purchases of land, Berkshire's Canaan campus now comprises some 2,000 acres. The agency has nine regional and district offices around the state, as well as additional satellite locations.

About the Berkshire Farm Archives

Since it was founded in 1886, Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth has exemplified the leading role played by private, non-profit agencies in the development of treatment services for troubled youth and their families.

Its documentary records and photographs reflect the evolution from a small facility housed in buildings purchased from Shakers to a prominent, statewide agency more than a century later. The Archives comprise records dating from the Berkshire's formative years, its growth, and the adaptation of its programs to changing economic and social conditions and to the needs of the children, their families, and the communities in which they live. The collection contains about 50 cubic feet of documents, papers, correspondence, pamphlets, newsletters, artifacts and some 2000 photographs.

Included are records relating to the agency's founding, its physical and structural development, correspondence dating from the late 1800s and minutes of Board of Directors meetings (1886-1980). Annual Reports (1900-present), the Berkshire Farm Record (1893-1975) and numerous other publications are available as well. Fundraising materials such as reports, strategies, community involvement and publicity occupy a significant portion of the collection.

Visit the Berkshire Farm Archives

Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth established its Archives in 1997 to preserve historical material and to make it available to researchers, students and others. The Archives are open by appointment Mondays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For further information or to arrange a visit, please call Philip Kaminstein, the Archives Director at (518) 781-4567, ext. 214.