[1] Wealthy neighbors sometimes viewed the wall as an eyesore;[2] portions still stand today surrounding Brown's Olney-Margolies Athletic Complex.

[1] At the time of its building, poor farms were considered a humane, progressive way to deal with poverty.

The idea was for poor, elderly, and ill people to earn their keep by working in a vegetable and dairy farm, instead of begging on the streets.

[3][4] Despite living on a working farm, residents were served only white bread and tea for dinner.

[4] The city started to look for ways to close the institution; however, Dexter's will had specified that the town could never sell the property and that it could only be used for his specified purpose.

[3] The city spent years in court working to overturn this requirement[3] and brought its first case as early as 1926, in an effort to turn the property into housing.

[4] This case was lost, but the state Supreme Court eventually cleared the way for a public auction.

[4] They were moved, the existing buildings were demolished, and Brown eventually built Meehan Auditorium and the Olney-Margolies Athletic Complex on the site.