Property acquisition sets up plans for a new gateway at Buttermilk Falls State Park

Buttermilk Falls State Park will grow by four acres as part of plans to expand its gateway. The Open Space Institute (OSI), a nonprofit conservation organization, announced Thursday that it had purchased the property for $1.3 million from the estate of the woman who owned the adjoining property. OSI said it plans to turn the site into a new gateway, parking area and trailhead. The site is near the park’s entrance, along State Route 13, and features a former bed-and-breakfast. A small waterfall, characteristic of the Finger Lakes region, also flows through the site. The prior owner, Margaret Rumsey, was born on a farm that included the land surrounding Buttermilk Creek and the gorge, which are now protected as part of the state park. The land is currently held in a trust that also bears Rumsey’s name. She was in her early 90s when she still operated the property s former bed-and-breakfast, which had been her family s home for generations, according to a statement from Da