West Place Animal Sanctuary officials have started a fund-raising campaign to purchase and preserve the site of the former Lafayette House, the historic farmhouse at 3118 Main Road that was torn down one week before Christmas.

Sanctuary executive director Wendy Taylor wrote Thursday evening that acquiring the 36 acres on which the home formerly sat would be a huge save not just for the sanctuary, but the town as well. Owner David Rose of Kingston, RI currently has it for sale for $6.8 million.

“If we act now, we can ensure history isn't erased while establishing a point of pride for all residents that reflects and embraces the agrarian culture of the Farm Coast.”

Wanted property for years

West Place was founded in 2007 and Taylor, her staff and volunteers have saved and cared for thousands of abused, displaced and neglected farm and domestic animals since. The compound lies just to the north of the Lafayette property, and Taylor said Friday that she and her co-workers have long had their eyes on the land to the north.

“We knew that eventually, at some point, this property was going to go on the market,” she said Friday morning. “So I started putting a little aside every year into a capital account in order to have a little bit of a nest egg. That being said, the world changed tremendously in Covid. Unfortunately for us the plan that we had, where we could put $50,000 per year aside, doesn’t really make that much of a difference anymore. What we saved was a drop in the bucket.”

Still, Taylor toured the property with owner David Rose eight months before the house was torn down, after she saw a ‘For Sale’ sign out front. Nothing concrete came out of the meeting, and Taylor said there is no sales agreement or written understanding in place.

She worries that the land could be sold to someone else at any time, so for her raising funds is an all hands on deck proposition.

To help run the capital campaign, West Place has hired a philanthropic consultant and Taylor hopes to find one or more generous donors who can help fund a majority of the purchase, while relying on the deep well of local support the sanctuary has enjoyed over its 17 years:

“All it takes is someone who cares about history, and about the sanctuary’s mission,” she said.

What could it be?

Taylor said purchasing the land would allow the sanctuary to expand past its current cramped grounds, “ensuring a sustainable future” for the non-profit and allowing it to take in more animals in need.

It would also benefit the town, she said. If the deal goes through, Taylor envisions:

• New public access to a tract of historic land that has been private for many generations.

“We envision walking trails, art installations, historic markers, on-site farming and agriculture, and event space — a true destination spot in South Tiverton.”

• Expanded humane education and internship programs, “providing workforce development and volunteer opportunities unlike any others in our region.”

• An opportunity to increase the farm’s sustainable farming initiatives;

• And a new ownership model that honors “our community's agrarian roots and culture by preserving a historic site that has supported farming and rural livelihoods for centuries.”