Independent Arts News Reporting Historic Homecoming at the Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center
Reported Friday, August 29, 2025.
Pictured Above: OHM Board members, front L Julie Flack, L-R Tara Haurin, Greg Roth, Sasha Eisenberg, Will Hammerstein, Christine Junker, Jim DeVivo, Mike Adams. Photo Credit: Joel Nace.
NEWSROOM POST: DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
Iconic Writing Desk used by Oscar Hammerstein II Unveiled with Fanfare; Now on Display to the Public for the First Time Ever
Doylestown, PA (8/25/25) –The iconic standing desk where Oscar Hammerstein II composed lyrics to timeless Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals of stage and screen was unveiled to the public on Saturday, August 23 at The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A gift from the Estate of Alice Hammerstein Mathias, Oscar’s daughter who passed away in 2015, this is the first time the desk has ever been put on view for the public.
Hammerstein family members and local dignitaries including Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, Doylestown Township Supervisor Jennifer Herring and Doylestown Borough Mayor Noni West were in attendance. The Museum was honored with citations presented by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and Pennsylvania Senator Steve Santarsiero to mark the occasion.
Pictured Above: OHM Board President Greg Roth speaking at the desk reveal celebration. Photo Credit: Joel Nace.
In a statement, Santarsiero said, “I am excited to welcome Oscar Hammerstein’s standing desk to its new home at The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center, where it will be preserved as part of Oscar’s legacy here in Bucks County. We are so fortunate to have a significant piece of musical theater history right here in Doylestown with Highland Farm. The addition of Oscar Hammerstein’s iconic standing desk not only represents the rich, local history of musical theater, but it also symbolizes creativity and the endurance of the arts over time.”
Fitzpatrick’s citation was accompanied by a flag which was flown over the United States Capitol in recognition of “the unveiling of Oscar Hammerstein II’s iconic desk and for honoring his legacy by inspiring the next generation of artists, actors and performers in Bucks County and beyond.” Presented by Kyle Melander, the district director for Congressman Fitzpatrick, Melander stated, “In Bucks County we’re so proud to have such a rich history here. This is one of the most historic places in all of America. We have Washington Crossing where one of the most pivotal moments in American history happened and we have places like this – a place that was at the heart of Broadway’s golden era.”
Pictured Above: Oscar Hammerstein’s original standing/writing desk returned home to it’s original position at Highland Farm (the now Hammerstein Museum) in Doylestown, PA. Photo Credit: Joel Nace.
Will Hammerstein, Oscar’s grandson and a founding board member of the Museum, noted the immensity of the gift, saying “This is a dream of mine, going back to the beginning. I’ve told people that if you could put the house back together, if you could find every artifact that still exists out there and get them all back, if you did not have this desk, it would be a tragedy. If you had this desk and the house was nothing but bare walls, that would be great. This desk makes the house…This is truly, truly a great day and one of the proudest days of my life having played a part in getting this desk here.”
Those in attendance at the unveiling also heard from Alice Hammerstein in a video in which she describes her father working at the desk, “He never wanted to sit down and write because it was too nerve wracking for him. He walked up and down, up and down, and when he had something to write, he stood at this desk, which was waist high for him, and wrote.” In a particularly poignant moment, the audience also heard Hammerstein’s voice from the recording of an early 1960 interview, just a few months before his death on August 23, 1960.
Pictured Above: OHM Board President Greg Roth receiving a flag and citation from Kyle Melander, District Director for Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. Photo Credit: Joel Nace.
The standing desk is now on display as part of museum tours, which take place Fridays – Mondays. Tours include riveting stories about Hammerstein’s musical family, how his groundbreaking musicals forever changed the modern-day book-musical, and additional insight into his contributions to society through his many humanitarian acts. Advance tickets are required for all tours. Tickets and information are available at https://www.hammersteinmuseum.org/tourinfo.
Pictured Above: The Trebletones female barbershop quartet sang at the celebration. L-R Annabel Bower, Addison Rogers, Jane File, Nora Kushnier. Photo Credit: Joel Nace.
ABOUT THE OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN MUSEUM AND THEATRE EDUCATION CENTER:
The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center is a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of Oscar Hammerstein II’s Doylestown home and telling the story of his legacy as a librettist, lyricist, humanitarian, and mentor. The Hammerstein family resided at Highland Farm from 1940-1960. Hammerstein composed the lyrics to his best-loved musicals while in residence at the farm, including “The Sound of Music,” “Oklahoma!” “South Pacific” (inspired by Doylestown’s James Michener’s novel Tales of the South Pacific), and others. A friendly neighbor, Hammerstein was known to fly a flag when local children could come to use his swimming pool or play tennis. He also met and mentored a young Stephen Sondheim while living at Highland Farm. Hammerstein’s role as a mentor and humanitarian will play a large role in the planned theatre education center at Hammerstein Museum.
The nonprofit is currently raising funds for the restoration and preservation of Highland Farm, and to
build the theatre education center on the site of the historic barn on the property. Individuals and entities interested in helping to Create Hammerstein Museum can contribute online at https://www.hammersteinmuseum.org/donate. Contributions of any amount can also be made by check, credit card or appreciated securities. Naming opportunities are available for rooms and spaces in the house and barn. Persons or institutions who have an object to donate for consideration in the museum’s collection may visit https://www.hammersteinmuseum.org/contact-us for instructions. For more information email hammersteinmuseum@gmail.com.
