Sylvester Field

I posted a 365 entry about this field earlier this year on May 5th. We drove by today, celebrating the fact that the necessary money has been raised and it will be preserved. We received an email this morning with an update celebrating the final purchase. Here's a bit of the email.

"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 HerringBrook 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.


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 the Record,
This day came in hot and humid as we await Hurricane Henri which seems to be tracking to the west of us at the moment. We will still have too much rain and wind I fear.


All hands wary