[5] After considering the Keene Valley area of New York's Adirondack Mountains for a rural retreat,[6] in 1882 Weir settled instead on hilly countryside in the Branchville section of Ridgefield, acquiring a 153-acre farm there from Erwin Davis in exchange for $10 and a painting.

[7] Weir and artists he hosted subsequently produced a large number of paintings depicting Ridgefield landscapes and other nearby countryside.

[11] Sperry and his wife Doris Andrews were given life tenancy, and would give impromptu tours of the studios to park visitors until after both had passed.

[14] In 2007, the U.S. Department of the Interior sought Congressional approval for the National Park Service to acquire space in nearby Redding, Connecticut, for administration and operational support to Weir Farm.

Under existing federal law at the time, the National Park Service was authorized to secure expansion space in Ridgefield and Wilton only.