History

EDWARD DANIELS FAULKNER PARK

and

THE FAULKNER TRAIL

  • Edward D. and Marianne G. Faulkner purchased the Woodward Mansion on Mountain Avenue in 1898, hoping this place of respite from NYC would offer health benefits for Edward, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. After the passing of Edward in 1926, Mrs. Faulkner spent more time in residence in their home on Mountain Avenue, becoming more deeply involved in the community.

    Mrs. Faulkner began construction of the therapeutic Faulkner Trail on her property in 1934, zigzagging up the face of Mt. Tom. Completed in 1937, Mrs. Faulkner opened the trail to the public. For the first half of the 20th century, the flat parcel was a hay field where cows could be seen grazing, and neighbors offering lemonade to the hay workers.

    The Woodward Mansion 19th Century *Photo courtesy of the Woodstock History Center

  • In 1956 Mrs. Faulkner finalized her Last Will and Testament, providing for the creation of the Edward Daniels Faulkner Park (including the existing trail) and establishing the Faulkner Trust, which would support the tax-exempt park in perpetuity. Her wishes came to fruition after her death in 1958; the Faulkner Trust (a testamentary trust ) was set up and managed by the Hanover Bank. In 1962, a local landscape designer Mary Jane Cole was hired to create a park design for the hayfield along Mountain Avenue, which established the beginnings of manicured park seen today.

    Original stone establishing the Edward Daniels Faulkner Park, as requested by Marianne Faulkner’s Last Will and Testament Located near stone wall boundary

  • Commonly referred to as Faulkner Park and Faulkner Trail, this historic open space has been enjoyed by untold numbers of visitors and locals of all ages since 1937. The Park and Trail continues to be owned by the Faulkner Trust currently managed by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Trustee. Three generations of one local family served as caretakers of the property. Woodstock Billings Park Commissioners and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park Rivers and Trails program have contributed to trail maintenance and repair projects. The Woodstock Rotary maintains the Star, which is located on the South Peak of Mt. Tom in Faulkner Park. Founded in 2020, Friends of Faulkner Park is offering assistance to the Faulkner Trust and the Village and Town of Woodstock in guiding the continued care of the park.

    The Star on South Peak in Faulkner Park Maintained and operated by The Rotary Club of Woodstock

Marianne Gaillard Faulkner (1859-1958)
*Photo courtesy of Woodstock History Center

 

THE LIFE OF MARIANNE GAILLARD FAULKNER

Born in 1859 in Mobile, Alabama, Marianne Gaillard and her family experienced great loss as a result of the Civil War, including the death of her father. Six-year-old Marianne and her mother moved back to her mother’s home near Etna, New Hampshire in 1865, to live near relatives. In 1898, by then married and a seasoned traveler, Mrs. Faulkner traveled independently from NYC to Woodstock, to choose and purchase the Woodward Mansion on Mountain Avenue, hoping this place of respite would offer health benefits for her husband Edward Daniels Faulkner. After the passing of her beloved husband Edward in 1926, Mrs. Faulkner spent more time in residence in their home on Mountain Avenue, becoming more deeply involved in the community. Mrs. Faulkner resided on Mountain Avenue for 60 Years, passing away in Woodstock on January 6, 1958, during her 99th year.

MRS. FAULKNER: THE PERSON

Marianne Faulkner (Mrs. Faulkner to the local community) was held in high regard. She was known to be completely devoted to friends, compassionate towards those less fortunate, emotional, and humanly imperfect. Both gracious and engaging, she got along with many, yet she shied away from the limelight. The list of her accomplishments in both charitable and business affairs attests to an astute and involved woman, broad and deep in her generosity. In reading her Will, one recognizes a forward thinking, thoughtfully present woman intentional in her actions, who believed in the power of sharing private wealth for the benefit of the public.

 

MRS. FAULKNER’S LEGACY

Mrs. Faulkner’s legacy stands strong in Woodstock today. She began construction of the therapeutic Faulkner Trail on her property in 1934, zig-zagging up the face of Mt. Tom, and opened it to the public in 1937. In 1943, she donated The Grist Mill property to Woodstock Associates, Inc. providing the location for a desired Woodstock Recreation Center; her involvement in the renovation of the mill brought this facility to fruition in 1950, where it still stands today. She chartered the non-profit The Homestead, Inc. in 1953, and the facility opened in 1957, once again as a result of her generous donation of the building and the land it resides on.

All three tax exempt entities continue to thrive today due to Mrs. Faulkner’s generosity, compassion, perseverance, vision, and business acumen. Marianne Gaillard Faulkner, through her Last Will and Testament, established the Faulkner Trust through which her assets would be managed. Her actions demonstrate that through philanthropy, Vermont charitable nonprofit corporations, and collaboration with the Woodstock municipality, Edward Daniels Faulkner Park and Faulkner Trail, The Homestead, and Woodstock Recreation Center can continue to benefit the public, and can do so in perpetuity.