To the Editor:
I am writing this letter to highlight the blighted (and near catastrophic) condition of what should be one of Milford’s most cherished sites and revenue drivers: Cliff Park’s Historic Inn and Golf Course. The property and its approximately 470 acres belonged to the Buchanan family from 1802 until 2003, when it was deeded to the National Parks Service.
The restaurant/inn (parts of which pre-date the Revolutionary War) was a once vibrant part of the community as late as 2010 and listed as one of America’s top 10 romantic destination. It is now shuttered with only the golf course “hanging on."
In its early days such luminaries as Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford made this their preferred destination. The Tom Mix Westerns were filmed in and around the property, and avid hikers would trek from the “Pond” to the Cliff Trail and beyond.
The nine-hole golf course, which was completed in 1912, was the first course in the United States to be designed by a woman, Annie R. Buchanan. Since women, at that time, were not allowed on golf courses, she designed her own. What better way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage than to restore this nine-hole gem?
I am imploring the National Parks Service to make Cliff Park part of its restoration efforts for 2020. Additionally, perhaps a lease agreement could be structured so that the inn and golf course can be restored by investors who realize the historical value and revenue potential for themselves and the community.
Fred Weber
Member of the Cliff Parker’s