Dear fellow Hanoverians:
Perhaps you have already heard this news, but the good folks at the
Wildlands Trust sent along this terrific press release with lots of great
information regarding their (and our!) newly purchased and protected
Sylvester Field in the Four Corners section of Hanover. It was too good to
not share with all of you – I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did!
On Friday, July 23, 2021, a months-long collaboration between regional
conservation group Wildlands Trust and the Town of Hanover culminated with
the final purchase and permanent protection of Sylvester Field.
Encompassing a small pine grove and 660-feet of frontage on Third Herring
Brook in Hanover’s Four Corners neighborhood, Sylvester Field’s
highly-visible 10-acre meadow and stone wall bordering Washington Street is
a cherished part of the town landscape. It has both historical and
ecological value, and has long served as an agricultural, recreational and
aesthetic resource for the community.
On May 3, 2021, with strong support from the Hanover Open Space Committee
and the Hanover Historical Commission, Hanover’s Town Meeting unanimously
approved the use of $250,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to
purchase a permanent Conservation Restriction on the field. With this
partnership, along with the generous contributions of 307 individual
donors, Wildlands Trust was able to act quickly on the rare opportunity to
purchase this highly-valuable parcel of open space in Hanover.
“It was an incredible effort, with hand-delivered mailings, personal
solicitations, a farmer’s market, banners, signs, field tours and more,
which continued unabated until the goal was reached!” marveled Sue
Chamberlain, Wildlands Trust’s Donor Relations Manager. According to
Chamberlain, this grass-roots effort proved critical for the success of the
project. A core group of 16 volunteers, led by Four Corners resident Caleb
Estabrooks, raised $150,000 to be combined with a $200,000 matching gift
from a generous donor. This community-generated funding supplied half of
the total cost of the land in just six months.
?
Most recently known to many locals as Robinson Field, the last property
owner was Clayton Robinson, who died in March of 2020. Under his family’s
ownership, a mowed path was maintained around the edge of the field, and
local residents have long-enjoyed walking past the tall grass, through the
pines, and down to the water’s edge. After his death, Robinson’s cousin
and estate representative Debbie Lincoln was an important advocate among
family members for the preservation of the scenic open field and the
continued public use of its frequently-visited walking trails.
When presented with the opportunity to preserve this land, Wildlands Trust
immediately recognized the ecological value of Sylvester Field. The
property is home to numerous wildlife species, both common and rare, and
provides an extensive riparian habitat along the Third Herring Brook, an
important tributary of the larger North River.
Under Wildlands Trust’s ownership, Sylvester Field will be maintained in
its current state. The field-edge walking trails will remain and annual
mowing of the field itself will continue. The addition of a small parking
area and an informational kiosk will improve accessibility for public
enjoyment of the preserve.
Long before European arrival, Native Americans occupied the area, including
the field, which lies at a strategic location near the confluence of Third
Herring Brook and the North River. In the mid-1600s, it was owned by
William Barstow, who is believed to be the first European settler in
Hanover. It later became part of a larger farm, changing hands to the
Stockbridge Family and then the Sylvester Family. When the Sylvester Family
sold much of the farm in the 1940s, Betsey (Sylvester) Robinson purchased
this parcel to save it from development. The land continued to be used for
agricultural purposes for many years, including the grazing of Hornstra
Farms cows and the production of hay, before settling into its latest role
as a scenic resource for the community.
Wildlands Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving land
and preserving the natural heritage of Southeastern Massachusetts. The
organization works to permanently protect and steward important habitats
and landscapes, including woodlands and fields, ponds, coastal areas,
agricultural lands, and river systems. Founded in 1973, Wildlands Trust has
worked to protect nearly 13,000 acres of open space in 48 Massachusetts
towns, including: Great River Preserve, in Bridgewater; Brockton Audubon
Preserve; Cow Tent Hill Preserve and Cushman Preserve in Duxbury; the Nook
in Kingston; Hoyt-Hall Preserve in Marshfield; Willow Brook Farm in
Pembroke; and the Davis-Douglas Conservation Area in Plymouth. For more
information about the Wildlands Trust and their purchase and protection of
Sylvester Field, please e-mail SChamberlain@wildlandstrust.org .
For “Around Town on the Web”,
Cathy H-B
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