Sunwealth team in front of the Ingraham solar array

For nearly four decades, Mary Ingraham has called a 25-acre homestead near Troy, New York, home. At the end of a long driveway sits a yellow farmhouse that has watched generations come and go. As we sat with Mary and her family on their front porch, it became clear that they have always welcomed the community into their home.

Mary recalled the early years her family spent in the homestead. In 1985, her husband, a minister, was appointed to a nearby church. The family agreed to move into the property at the request of a Navy officer, who was looking for someone to live on the land and help restore the house and grounds. When Mary and her husband Joe arrived with their children, the grass stood as high as their shoulders.

Over the years, the Ingraham family poured care and dedication into restoring and maintaining the property. As Mary put it, "It needed a lot of tender love and care." 

The homestead carries a deep history, believed to have been built in the 1850s by the DeFreest family, the area’s earliest Dutch settlers. Over generations the family built homes across the land, adding to existing houses and building new ones as the family grew. Today, the Ingraham family says their home is the only surviving DeFreest farmhouse. The house’s past still finds its way to the front door: a visitor once stopped by to tell the family he had been born on the kitchen table.

The home’s significance extends beyond its historic roots. Mary and her husband regularly welcomed students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), who would gather to study and sometimes even unroll their sleeping bags to stay overnight. Church families also frequently found a place to stay in the homestead. For the Ingraham family, opening their home to others was simply part of being a community.

Steve and Vanessa Ingraham walking around the solar array.

Now, the family is continuing that tradition of welcoming the community in a new way.

In partnership with Sol Source Power, a local solar developer in Troy, Sunwealth has officially energized a 7 MW community solar project on the Ingraham property. The project will provide clean electricity to two local school districts and hundreds of low-income households, helping subscribers save 20% on their electric bills.

The project also creates an opportunity for Mary to receive lease payments for the use of her land, providing additional support to maintain her home for generations to come.

Opening your home, and your land, to others is an act of trust and generosity. We are deeply grateful to Mary and her sons, Jay and Steve, for welcoming us into their family’s story and for helping bring affordable, clean energy to the Troy community. Their commitment to preserving the past while investing in the future is a powerful reminder of what community can accomplish together.

Rooted in Community, Powered by Solar