At one time the Nipmuc, who are known as the Freshwater People, roamed a territory of more than 2,000 square miles. Today in the heart of their ancestral lands there is an opportunity to create a unified community and education center for the various Nipmuc clans on a 42-acre parcel in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. In this master plan, Anna Fialkoff and Noah Zimmerman envision how this piece of land with a beaver pond, wetlands, and streams can tell the story of an ancient culture and connect that story to the landscape. The land becomes a place to educate the public and to practice traditions.
“[Noah and Anna’s] calm and open-minded approach was delightful,” said the clients, “and we appreciated their own personal respect and appreciation for the land itself, which is a central foundation of Nipmuc heritage and culture.”