County land trust seeks volunteers to help clean Hempfield farmhouse

The Schwarz farmstead is already a stately sight on a scenic Hempfield hilltop. Now the group that purchased it is seeking volunteers to help do the same for the inside of the farmhouse.

As part of the United Way Day of Caring, Westmoreland Land Trust officials will welcome volunteers to the farmhouse, 504 Beech Hills Road in Hempfield, from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday to prepare for its eventual conversion into a nature and art park.

“The house has been professionally cleaned, but some tasks remain that will make a big difference,” land trust Executive Director Betsy Aiken told volunteers in an email. “We hope to make the farmhouse as appealing as we can.”

There will be cleaning materials on-site and jobs aplenty, including filling nail holes with putty, wiping up sanding dust, cleaning overhead light fixtures, vacuuming, cleaning wood flooring, sweeping in the garage, cleaning windows and more.

Trust officials will provide nitrile gloves and face masks, as well as fruit, granola bars, water and juice. Volunteers will have to bring their own coffee, however.

With the help of funding from the Colcom Foundation and Allegheny Foundation, the trust purchased the farm from the Roberta N. Schwarz Charitable Foundation. The trust previously helped to conserve 12 other sites, but each was turned over to another entity. The Schwarz property is the first which the trust intends to keep, Aiken said.

The plan is to eventually place outdoor art pieces, likely sculptures, across the scenic property to bring in visitors who can learn more about land conservation, Aiken said.

The land trust intends to engage a consultant to plan for the conservation of the property while seeking input from residents of nearby communities and others who are interested, and visitor days are planned for Oct. 22-24.