Maine Heritage - Maine Coast Heritage Trust

© SARA GRAY
As one first ascends Beech Hill in
Rockport, the eye is drawn to the
dense mats of blueberry plants close
at hand. Each step up the gentle
slope stretches one’s vista, revealing
rolling hayfields, a rustic stone hut,
the Camden Hills — and finally — a
brilliant expanse of sea and sky. Wide
ocean vistas extend south to Monhegan
and east to Mt. Desert Island.
“Beech Hill holds a cherished
place in the hearts of local residents”
says MCHT project manager Jonathan
Labaree. Through the vision and
generosity of its former owners and
community donors, 295 acres at the
summit of Beech Hill will remain
undeveloped and accessible for people
and wildlife to enjoy.
MCHT recently acquired Beech
Hill through a bargain sale, purchasing
the land for two-thirds of its esti-
Maine Heritage
T HE N EWSLETTER OF M AINE C OAST H ERITAGE T RUST SPRING 2001
PRESERVING BEECH HILL IN ROCKPORT
THE SUMMIT OF BEECH HILL IS READILY ACCESSIBLE –
AFFORDING PEOPLE OF ALL AGES A CHANCE TO ENJOY ITS OPEN VIEWS.
mated $1.5 million market value.
MBNA Foundation provided a
$500,000 grant toward the land’s purchase,
helping to match a $400,000
award from the Land for Maine’s
Future Program. “Beech Hill is a community
treasure,” says MBNA CEO
Charlie Cawley: “it represents much
of what makes our region so special.”
MCHT will transfer the property
to Coastal Mountains Land Trust
(CMLT), a regional land trust, to
manage as a nature preserve. “Beech
Hill has always had great significance
for our trust,” explains CMLT Executive
Director Scott Dickerson, “since
it was the first conservation easement
we held.” CMLT and MCHT
are seeking support to provide for
the property’s long-term stewardship.
MBNA Foundation and the
former landowners have pledged
JONATHAN LABAREE
generous grants to launch that fundraising
initiative.
Protection of Beech Hill occurred
in stages over 15 years. “This land
could have been developed – several
times over — had it not been for the
commitment of two families devoted
to the land,” says Labaree. “We all owe
them a tremendous debt of gratitude.”
Edward and Grace Cutting, who
owned Beech Hill from 1942 until
1986, considered giving the land to
a nonprofit entity for long-term protection.
Unfortunately, they took no
concrete measures and the attorney
handling their affairs faced a difficult
decision – being obligated to maximize
their estate yet knowing that they
wanted the land preserved.
Fortunately, the Cutting’s attorney
learned of a conservation-minded buyer
looking for land. Jane W. Stetson, of
Norwich, Vermont, had summered in
Continued on page 3
© SARA GRAY

© SARA GRAY
EASEMENT PRESERVES BAR HARBOR FARM
The Stone Barn Farm on Mount
Desert Island captured headlines in
March when MCHT announced its
permanent protection. Following the
news, a flurry of grateful phone calls,
cards and contributions to MCHT
confirmed that this well-known property
holds a special place in the hearts
and minds of many local residents
and visitors.
The farm provides 128 acres of
unbroken fields, forests and marshlands
in an area experiencing rapid
change. Since 1993, seven major
developments have fragmented the
rural Emery District. “The Stone Barn
Farm could have been subdivided
into 42 house lots,” notes senior project
manager Caroline MacDonald
Pryor. “Instead it has become the seventh
conserved property in the Emery
District, bringing the total land protected
to more than 400 acres.”
“I feel like we’re helping extinguish
the fire of housing development that
is running rampant in our neighborhood,”
says farm owner Harry Owen,
who with his wife Cindy has lived
at the Stone Barn Farm for 40 years.
“If you divide this land up into little
housing lots, the character of the area
will not survive.”
The Owens, a retired school teacher
and nurse, hoped to leave the farm to
LONG-TIME FARM OWNERS
CINDY AND HARRY OWEN
ARE RELIEVED TO KNOW
THAT THEIR SCENIC
PROPERTY WILL NEVER
BE SUBDIVIDED.
CHRIS HAMILTON
THE STONE BARN FARM, A BELOVED LANDMARK ON MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, HAS THREE
BUILDINGS NOMINATED FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
their daughter and her family, but
soaring real estate prices and steep
inheritance taxes threatened their
plans. After careful consideration,
the Owens chose to retain their land
while working with MCHT to extinguish
future development rights.
“Had they not taken this step to
lower their property’s value,” explains
Pryor, “their heirs would have
had to sell the land just to pay the
estate taxes.”
“I’ve always felt I was put on earth
to protect this land,” Harry Owen
reflects. “Finding a way to do this has
been on my mind for many years.
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
became the tool that will
keep these fields and woods
green long after I am gone.”
WITH MORE THAN A MILE OF
FRONTAGE ON THE TIDAL ESTUARY
NORTHEAST CREEK, THE STONE BARN
FARM PROVIDES HABITAT FOR EAGLES,
OWLS, OTTER AND OTHER WILDLIFE.
ITS SIGNIFICANT ECOLOGICAL VALUE
ENABLED MCHT TO COMPETE SUC-
CESSFULLY FOR A $50,000 GRANT
THROUGH THE NORTH AMERICAN
WETLANDS CONSERVATION COUNCIL
TO HELP UNDERWRITE PROJECT COSTS.
5 MAINE HERITAGE SPRING 2001
© SARA GRAY

I first learned about Beech Hill in
the mid-70s while visiting a college
friend in Rockport. Since I had never
been to the community before, my
friend obligingly played tour guide.
“There are three cornerstones of our
community,” he told me: “Beech
Hill, Aldermere Farm and Andre the
Seal.” One of those community pillars
was destined to fall, being mortal.
Fortunately, the other two landmarks
will remain – embodying what local
people love about their home terrain.
Many of the places that MCHT
works to conserve – properties
like Beech Hill, Stone Barn Farm,
Robinson Woods and Sayles Fields –
provide more than beautiful scenery
and valuable open space. They are
lands that lie close to the heart of
community members – properties
that define their sense of home and
Two local trusts recently met
with success in protecting valued
open space – places where local residents
have long enjoyed walking,
cross-country skiing and time outdoors.
The trusts are now engaged
in community fundraising to cover
the purchase price and provide for
long-term stewardship. MCHT is
a partner in both projects, and will
hold a conservation easement on
the two new preserves.
SAYLES FIELDS, SOUTH FREEPORT
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN by Jay Espy
LANDS THAT LIE CLOSE TO THE
HEART
Freeport Conservation Trust (FCT)
JACK KENNEALY
COMMUNITY MEMBERS RECOGNIZE THE PRICELESS VALUE OF BEECH HILL IN ROCKPORT.
belonging. Loss of these lands would
represent an enduring wound to the
soul of the community.
In our number-crunching world,
it’s hard to assess the true value of
beloved natural landmarks. Their
full worth cannot be measured by
appraiser’s reports, tax valuations or
real estate comparables. You need
only listen to community members,
acquired 72 acres of fields and woods
that rim the village of South Freeport.
The purchase price of $800,000 was
raised primarily from individuals in the
neighborhood of the Sayles Fields.
“People who have long enjoyed the
property recognized the need for permanent
protection,” says Katrina
MCHT WILL HOLD AN EASEMENT ON ROBINSON
WOODS, A NEW PRESERVE IN CAPE ELIZABETH.
though, to recognize that these lands
represent a priceless asset. One Camden
native — a realtor by trade —
recently described Beech Hill in this
way: “It’s a place to simply go up and
take a pause and reflect on things.
There’s something very spiritual about
the place – and I’m not inclined to
make that statement about nearly
anything.”
Van Dusen, FCT President. “Community
members value having open
space close at hand.”
ROBINSON WOODS, CAPE ELIZABETH
Through a generous bargain sale,
MCHT Director John M. Robinson
sold a beloved 80-acre woodland
to Cape Elizabeth Land Trust
(CELT). The forest sanctuary along
Shore Road has an extensive trail
network, 300-year old trees and an
adjoining parcel that provides ocean
access. To help raise funds for the
$750,000 purchase price, CELT has
received a $250,000 grant from the
Town of Cape Elizabeth and is a
finalist for Land for Maine’s Future
Program funding.
2 MAINE HERITAGE SPRING 2001
© SARA GRAY

JONATHAN LABAREE
BEECH HILL continued from page 1
the area as a child and spent time
on the hill. “My spiritual connection
to Beech Hill dates back to those
years,” Stetson recalls: “I thought –
at age 16 – that if I ever could buy
that land I would preserve it.” The
opportunity did arise 18 years later
and Stetson followed through on her
childhood dream – purchasing the
land in 1986 to ensure its conservation.
“Beech Hill,” she says, “is one
of those special places on earth that
has to be protected.”
Working closely with MCHT,
the Cuttings’ attorney placed an easement
on Beech Hill before the sale
— restricting possible house sites to
ten on 575 acres. “Zoning at that
time would have permitted 400 legal
houselots,” says Chris Cokinis, a
Camden real estate agent. “Jane
saved Beech Hill: it could have been
a disaster.”
Jane and her husband Bill Stetson
STUART DALY
became devoted stewards
of Beech Hill.
They supplemented
the easement restrictions
with further
covenants to ensure
that any future houses on the land
would not diminish the area’s scenic
or ecological integrity. A strong commitment
to working landscapes and
sustainable agriculture led them
to establish an organic blueberry
operation. They invested more than
$100,000 in reclaiming former barrens
– a labor-intensive process of
clearing the land, mowing, burning
and treating vines with sulfur. Now,
with 100 acres of vine ready for production,
Beech Hill is one of Maine’s
largest organic blueberry operations.
The Stetsons also helped preserve
the property’s historic stone hut by
repointing stone work, repairing the
roof and protecting it against vandalism.
“The building had become
a hot spot for partying kids,” Jane
Stetson explains: “the leaded windows
had been broken, and the parquet
floors used for firewood.” Unable to
manage inappropriate use of the land,
FORMER OWNERS BILL AND JANE STETSON
WERE CONSCIENTIOUS STEWARDS OF BEECH HILL.
BEECH HILL STANDS AS A BEACON ALONG THE COAST, VISIBLE FAR ACROSS PENOBSCOT BAY.
CAMDEN HILLS
STATE PARK
CAMDEN
ROCKPORT
BEECH HILL
PENOBSCOT
the Stetsons had to post it. “It broke
our hearts to close off access,” Bill
Stetson says, “but we had lost control
over what we were trying to save.”
Despite the Stetsons’ conscientious
stewardship, many community members
remained sad that Beech Hill
was in private hands. During the
latter years of the Cuttings’ ownership,
local residents had taken to
walking the land and had come to
love the land as their own. A 1986
commentary in the Camden Herald
newspaper speaks to the sense of grief
people felt at the prospect of losing
access to Beech Hill:
“Every time I walk up the path to the
little stone house at the hilltop, I feel as
though it’s the first time my feet are
treading the ground. Often there are
others roaming the fields, taking in the
spectacular sweeping view of Penobscot
Bay, eating ripened blueberries…
Will we ever walk this path again?”
Now community members will
walk the summit path again, thanks
to the generosity of the Stetsons and
the key funders and partners that
contributed to Beech Hill’s permanent
protection.
3 MAINE HERITAGE SPRING 2001
BAY

© SARA GRAY
© SARA GRAY
“Beechnut,” the stone cottage at
the summit of Beech Hill, was crafted
by a Norwegian-born landscape
designer, Hans O. Heistad. Commissioned
to build a cottage for picnics
and afternoon teas, Heistad chose a
long, low design with sod roof —
MANAGING
modeled after traditional Norwegian
BEECH HILL mountain cottages. The structure was
MCHT will transfer the Beech built during the winters of 1913 and
Hill preserve to Coastal Mountains 1915 – with each stone transported
Land Trust, which plans to establish to the site in burlap and set in
a network of trails for walking and
cross-country skiing within the next
two years. Trails will be sited to
minimize impact on the blueberry
operations and on critical grassland
bird species – such as vesper and
savannah sparrows, Eastern meadowlarks
and bluebirds.
Beech Hill is likely to draw many
local residents and visitors. “In caring
for Beech Hill,” says Coastal Mountains’
Executive Director Scott Dickerson, “we’ll
need to balance the demands of visitors with
the needs of the land.” Parking will be confined
to one or two modest sites, landscaped
to minimize their visual impact.
The local trust hopes to expand the organic
blueberry operation – which keeps fields open,
supports grassland bird habitat and models
sustainable agricultural practices.
THE “BEECHNUT” HUT
HELP PROTECT LANDMARKS LIKE BEECH HILL
Your donations help Maine Coast Heritage Trust conserve exceptional places like
Beech Hill in Rockport and the Stone Barn Farm on Mount Desert Island.
We greatly appreciate contributions at all levels.
Name:
Street:
City: State: Zip:
Please make your check payable to MAINE COAST HERITAGE TRUST and mail to: Bowdoin Mill,
One Main Street, Topsham, ME 04086. If you prefer, you may donate by credit card. Instructions are
available on the MCHT website (www.mcht.org) or complete the following:
Credit Card number:
HISTORIC IMAGES OF “BEECHNUT” IN ITS EARLY YEARS.
❏ Visa expiration date:
❏ Mastercard signature:
place by hand. The sound design and
careful construction helped keep the
cottage intact, despite years of neglect
and vandalism.
Coastal Mountains Land Trust is
now raising funds to restore the hut
so it can be used for environmental
education and community functions.
Former owner Bill Stetson notes
that much of the interior wood and
stonework is “incredibly detailed and
still intact:
when fully
restored, it
will be quite
a showcase.”
Questions? Please call 207-729-7366 or e-mail us at development@mcht.org. Thank you!
4 MAINE HERITAGE SPRING 2001
JONATHAN LABAREE

LAND FOR MAINE’S FUTURE PROGRAM PROVIDES
KEY SUPPORT FOR LAND TRUST PROJECTS
In the first round of applications
since Maine voters overwhelmingly
approved a $50 million public land
acquisition bond, the Land for Maine’s
Future (LMF) Board allocated $12 million
this winter to 28 land conservation
projects totaling 144,650 acres.
Maine’s land trusts submitted strong
proposals and fared well in the recent
award decisions.
MCHT proposed three successful
applications for projects at Beech Hill
in Rockport, Tinker Island in Blue
Hill Bay and Little Pond in the Tunk/
Donnell Pond region. It also partnered
with local land trusts on several
other successful projects: Damariscotta
River Association’s Crooked Farm,
Friends of Merrymeeting Bay’s Choice
View Farm, Boothbay Region Land
Trust’s Boothbay Wetlands, Cape
THANK YOU!
Joan and Russell Smith of Phippsburg for donating
binoculars and Karen and Andrew Fisk of Pittston for
donating a Christmas tree to decorate the Topsham office.
Hope Rowan of Brunswick for volunteering in the
communications department.
Ginny Stuart and Cindy Nickerson for volunteering
on phones in the Topsham office.
Brittany Kline, a Bowdoin College student, for
working as a stewardship intern in the Topsham office.
Natural Resources Council of Maine for allowing
MCHT to use its conference room for meetings.
Maine Heritage
MAINE COAST HERITAGE TRUST
is dedicated to protecting land that is essential to the character of
Maine, its coastline and islands in particular. Since 1970, more
than 108,000 acres have been permanently protected. MCHT
provides conservation advisory services to landowners, local land
trusts and state and community officials free of charge. A membership
organization, MCHT welcomes your support and inquiries.
Bowdoin Mill, One Main Street, Topsham, ME 04086
207-729-7366
P.O. Box 426, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662
207-276-5156
MCHT IS NOW ON THE WEB!
View our site at www.mcht.org
MCHT
LITTLE POND, IN EASTERN HANCOCK COUNTY,
IS ONE OF THREE RECENT MCHT PROJECTS
THAT WILL RECEIVE LAND FOR MAINE’S FUTURE
PROGRAM SUPPORT.
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Bowdoin Mill
One Main Street
Topsham, ME 04086
Address Service Requested
Printed on recycled paper
Design & Prepress: Ethos/ImageSet
Writing: Marina Schauffler
Elizabeth Land Trust’s Robinson
Woods and Harpswell Heritage
Trust’s Long Reach Forest.
Other local land trusts also had
ambitious projects approved: Scarborough
Land Trust’s Fuller Farm,
the 6,000-acre Kennebec Highlands
Project, and Pownal Land Trust’s
planned trail between Bradbury
Mountain and Pineland. Each of
the LMF grantees must provide a
one-third match for the funding
requested and follow specific criteria
for project completion.
Land trusts benefited from two
revisions enacted when the LMF
Program was refunded. Its board now
welcomes proposals for projects of
local or regional significance, no
longer limiting its support to lands
of statewide significance. The Program
also amended its criteria so
that cooperating entities can hold
title to lands that it funds.
ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS
A new edition of the Maine Land Trust
Directory is now available for $20 through
MCHT’s website (www.mcht.org) or by
calling Maine Land Trust Coordinator
Megan Shore at 729-7366.
MCHT has drafted a management plan
for Aldermere Farm, following a set of public
meetings to gather community input and
numerous interviews with agricultural and conservation
professionals throughout the region. For more information
on the farm, visit MCHT’s website – www.mcht.org.
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