Bryn Gweled Homesteads Former Bryn Gweled resident wins 2007 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Click here to read more!
About Bryn Gweled
Bryn Gweled's mission is to promote and sustain an intentionally cooperative community wherein government is democratic and stresses consensus building; members work together to achieve community goals; diversity of individuals is encouraged and celebrated, and the natural and social environment fosters feelings of individual and collective safety, health and well being!
What is Bryn Gweled?
A community in the truest sense, Bryn Gweled is made up of a diverse group of people who share a vision of a way of life. In fact the name itself, Bryn Gweled means “Hill of Vision.” We are an intentional community of folks, young and old, who have chosen to live together on our wooded oasis and work cooperatively to maintain the place we call home.
Bryn Gweled is home to about 75 families on 240 acres of collectively owned property in Bucks County. Our beautiful woods are a habitat for foxes, owl, deer, hawks, and many other species of animal and plant life. We attempt to maintain walking/cross-country skiing trails through the woods for the enjoyment of all. We share an organic community garden, a community swimming pool, tennis courts, a soccer field, and a community center where many activities are held. All of these are enjoyed by and solely maintained by our members.
Bryn Gweled is a not-for-profit corporation owned by its members, each of whom is expected to contribute in some way toward the maintenance of the community. There are no paid officers, managers, or maintenance people. Our volunteer and elected committees manage and administer all aspects of the community, from landscaping and road maintenance to bookkeeping and organizing fun group activities. One way we do this is to have once-a -month Saturday morning work parties where much work is accomplished, and joyfully accompanied by lots of good food and socializing. Later in the day, we have a covered dish supper where one can enjoy the company of friends and neighbors while sharing an interesting variety of foods.
We have a regular monthly meeting where everyone can voice his or her opinions (and does, with great feeling). We have elected leadership; we govern ourselves by a form of democracy and we value a consensus-based decision making process. We firmly believe in equality among all people and all of us have an equal say in community decisions. We do not have a group religion; our beliefs are as individually different as we are. As a group, we strive to be open to diversity of opinion and culture and have respect for personal freedoms, while at the same time working in harmony for the common good of all.
There is a rather extensive membership process, which includes visits to the homes of many of the residents. We feel that this process not only allows us to get to know you better, but also allows you to find out for yourself if this is a way of life that you would choose. For Bryn Gweled is not just a place to live, but also a way of living. And along with the freedoms of ownership and self-governance comes a greater set of responsibilities on the part of the people who live here. All of our lives are intertwined in some way with one another. We have to know, trust, and depend on each other in ways that people living in a usual neighborhood do not.
Living and working together cooperatively, sharing responsibilities and decisions, and truly caring about each other is what Bryn Gweled is really all about