Nyala Farm

E.T. Bedford was the entrepreneurial President of the Corn Products Refining Co. His acumen was such that he sat on the boards of several diverse companies including most notably the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. But, he and the Bedford family as a whole are best remembered for their continued philanthropy and generosity to Westport over the last 100 years. He built the YMCA at Westport, today recognized as the Bedford Middle School, and established the Edward T. Bedford Foundation. The last to live at Nyala was his grand-daughter, Ruth, who left her entire estate ($120 million) to charities.

Horses & Antelope

Bedford was passionate about racing and breeding thoroughbreds. He had started acquiring land in the area from as early as 1903 and by the time the mansion was built it stood on a 52-acre estate that included two farms, a half-mile race track that was given the name “Winfromere,” (ie., “win from here.”), a stable complex, and various other outbuildings. Bedford's preference was for wagon racing (for which his stables held two world records) which explains the vast carriage house/garage built on the property.

The mansion was designed by Montrose W. Morris (1861-1916), who like Bedford was also a native of Brooklyn. No expense was spared, and the house even had elevators. It was Edward's son, Fred, who gave the house (as well as his motorboat) its name - "Nyala" - for the spiral-horned antelope that had captivated his attention on safari in Africa.

Other than its racing stables and association with motorboat racing, Nyala was noted for its lush gardens, exotic fruit orchards and as the last place in Westport to produce milk commercially. But, for E.T. Bedford, Nyala was always about his horses, and even at the age of 78 he could still be seen on the race track astride his favorite horse, “Diplomat”.

Ruth Bedford

The estate was inherited by Bedford's son, Fred, who divided his time between here and Manhattan. After his death in 1963, the mansion was demolished and his daughter, Ruth, had the (vast!) old carriage house converted into a home. She was a well-known figure in Westport who gave tirelessly to the community and adored her dogs and horses. She  continued Nyala Farm's reputation for excellence in horse-racing, winning races at both  Belmont and Saratoga as well as other many other eastern tracks.

Ruth died in 2014, only a matter of weeks away from her 100th birthday. By the following year her home was demolished for development. In her will, she left her entire estate ($120 million) to be divided equally between three charitable causes: the Norwalk Hospital at Westport where she volunteered over 17,000 hours of service; the Westport YMCA facility at Mahackeno, known as the Bedford Family Center; and, her alma mater, the Foxcroft School, started by the eccentrically brilliant "Miss Charlotte" of Burrland, and which also counted Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, among its alumni.