The Land Project, a women’s land collective, formed in 1975. In June 1975, a group of 16 Cleveland women united to form the Land Project collective with the ultimate goal of “owning land in the country.” Many of the collective’s founding members were also active members of the Hag House (Berkshire House) Lesbian Collective. Between 1975 and 1979, the Land Project collective held planning meetings at the Hag House (2953 Berkshire Road) with the goal of forming an autonomous women’s land community. By 1976, members of the Land Project collective began pooling money in order to purchase land. In June 1979, Land Project collective mortgaged 20 acres of wooded rural land in northwestern Pennsylvania. The collective’s land is located “somewhat near Pymatuning Lake,” roughly 2.5 hours away from Cleveland.
Since 1979, the Land Project collective has hosted camping weekends, events, and celebrations in order to invite women to engage with the land. The Land Project’s land is reserved primarily for adult women, though the collective has occasionally welcomed “male children ages 5-12 and female children over age 5” in order to accommodate the needs of mothers with children. Though membership in the Land Project collective is based on approval from the collective’s members, the collective has continued to provide opportunities for women to visit and participate in their women’s land. The collective’s land is maintained by its collective’s members and funded through members’ monetary donations. The Land Project collective remains active in rural Pennsylvania. Egg Moon Farm, a separate Cleveland-based women’s land collective, also remains active in rural Holmes County.
Additional information coming soon.
Resources
- “Debra Hirshberg Interview, 11 July 2023.” Cleveland Voices.
- “Land Project Invites Women.” What She Wants. May 1980. Page 2.
- “Land Project Offers Camping.” Gay People’s Chronicle. June 1, 1986. Page 6.
- “Outdoors.” What She Wants. June 1983. Page 17.
- “Sally Tatnall Interview, 05 June 2019.” Cleveland Voices.
- “Sally Tatnall Interview, 19 July 2023.” Cleveland Voices.
- Schneck, Ken. LGBTQ Cleveland. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2018. Page 31.
- “Update on Land Project.” What She Wants. June 1980. Page 2.
- “Land Project – Open Meeting.” What She Wants. March 1978. Page 15.