Meadow Pond, Loon Pond, Stockwell Hill Roads
164 acres of forest, stream, and wetland habitats
No public access, no formal trails
December 2018

Approaching the four corners of Meadow Pond, Loon Pond, and Stockwell Hill Roads in Gilmanton is like experiencing “The essence of rural character in Gilmanton.” Now these 164 acres of scenic lands are conserved permanently, thanks to landowners Graham Wilson and Virginia Sapiro who donated a conservation easement to Five Rivers Conservation Trust on December 20.

The landowners have carefully managed their pine-oak forestland, and allow a neighbor to tap their sugarbush. Waterfowl and other terrestrial and aquatic life find productive habitats along over 3/4 of a mile of Academy Brook. Vernal pools, beaver ponds, mill ponds, and the surrounding expanse of forest augment the value of this land for wildlife. Gina tends fertile gardens on the property and her produce and bread are available at “Gilmanton’s Own Market”.

Old timers know this property as the former location of a thriving 19th century Gilmanton landmark, Jones Mill. Millers used the power of Academy Brook to grind grain, manufacture clothes dryers, and make 73,000 shingles per day!

The landowners generously donated the conservation easement to permanently protect their land from development, subdivision, and mismanagement, no matter who owns it in the future.

Five Rivers Conservation Trust guided the conservation process and is responsible for ensuring the terms of this conservation easement are upheld forever. To do that Five Rivers will monitor the property at least annually, work cooperatively with all future landowners to determine appropriate land uses and take action if future activities are not compatible with the conservation easement.

The Gilmanton Land Trust and private donors provided crucial financial assistance for transaction costs.

Route 107, Loon Pond and Meetinghouse Pond Roads
85 acres of fields and forests
No dedicated public access
December 2013 and September 2017

The four protected properties, formerly owned by long-term Gilmanton resident George Twigg, III, have been conserved for agriculture and public enjoyment, under conservation easements held by the Five Rivers Conservation Trust. Gilmanton Land Trust, a local organization, undertook the project, in cooperation with Five Rivers, to raise the nearly $1.2 million needed to secure the future of four key properties owned by Mr. Twigg, including the views long admired by residents and travelers through the town.

The land conserved includes four parcels:

1. The 15-acre tract on the top of Frisky Hill (Route 107) with views to the north and east over fields, hills and the Belknap Mountains
2. A 21- acre parcel, also on Rt. 107, looking northerly over Loon Pond to rolling hills and Mount Kearsarge beyond
3. An 8-acre field on Loon Pond Road providing access to a cemetery once used by the Osgood family
4. A 41- acre tract of fields and forests with extensive frontage on Meetinghouse Pond across from the historic Smith Meetinghouse complex. This parcel includes a flax retting pond, where farmers prepared flax for weaving into cloth in the early 19th century. The extensive stone structure built across the pond’s bottom for processing flax is the only known example of such a feature in the State of New Hampshire.

The Frisky Hill view toward the Belknaps and the Meetinghouse Road parcels are now owned by the Town of Gilmanton (subject to conservation easements held by Five Rivers) under the stewardship of the Conservation Commission.

Tibbetts Road
25 acres
No public access
January 2009

This 25-acre property is located just east of the village of Gilmanton Iron Works and is bordered by a dirt road (Tibbetts Road) on one side and Rt. 140 on the other side. Stone walls form the other boundaries of this rectangular-shaped land. Mike and Muriel Robinette donated a conservation easement on the land to Five Rivers Conservation Trust in 2008.

Along Tibbetts Road, the land is characterized by a striking open field of over thirteen acres, comprising about half of the property. Since the property is on an elevated rise, with open areas across the road, there are attractive distant views of the hills to the south and the Belknap Moutains to the west. The field itself serves as pastureland for horses owned by the Robinettes. Also, the field contains some orchard trees. The house and nearby barn are not part of the conservation easement.

The other half of the land consists of an open forest of mature mixed hardwoods and softwoods, including birch, red oak, hemlock, and pine. Ground vegetation consists of trillium, partridge berry, and other plants. Bisecting the forest is a small brook. Deer and other animals are common throughout the property, and moose are sometime visitors.

Perkins Road
30 acres
Public access, no formal trails
May 2009

The Perkins Farm, a 30-acre property consisting of two parcels, is located off of Perkins Road in Gilmanton. The property was trusted to Five Rivers in May of 2009. Prior to its conservation, the landowner cleared the property. The parcel on the NE side of the road (Area One) was clearcut about 15-20 years ago, in anticipation of making a new field that never happened, and now consists of brushy, young growth. The SW parcel (Area two) is more mature forestland, albeit heavily logged a while back.

Area one has direct access to a dirt road leading back to Perkins Road. A woods road runs through Area Two and is used as a snowmobile trail in the winter. The trail is used and maintained by the Gilmanton Snowmobile club. The woods road connects Area Two with three nearby conservation easement lots (Skantze CE, John & Ursula Allen CE, and Frank Allen CE).

The property has undeveloped frontage on Perkins Road allowing for partial, seasonal distant views of the Belknap Mountains. The Wildlife Action Plan stated the property to be a supporting landscape to the existing conservation area. The property also contains productive soil for agriculture as well as forestry; it also guarantees public access for outdoor recreation and education.

Perkins Road – Gilmanton Iron Works
25 acres of field and forests on two parcels near Crystal Lake in Gilmanton Iron Works
Public access, no formal trails
December 2007

The Howe/Thorne Easement Property, protected in 2007, is a 25-acre landscape located in the town of Gilmanton, or, more specifically, in Gilmanton Iron Works. Near the scenic waterbody of Crystal Lake, this property has been owned by Tom Howe and Sarah Thorne for more than twenty years.

It consists of a wonderful, undulating field alongside and behind their historic farmstead, a field that serves as pastureland for their neighbor’s farm. A well-maintained walking trail extends from the field’s edge, allowing hikers to stroll past acreage conserved by the Gilmanton Land Trust and which was transferred to Five Rivers Conservation Trust in 2008.

Another distinctive feature of Tom and Sarah’s property lies across the dirt road from their home, a forest they have tended with great care over the years. Selectively and skillfully harvested so as to preserve the woodlands’ value and attractiveness, the forest contains a trail system that is graced with stately red oak and other trees, interesting glacial features, and a necklace of vernal pools, so important for wildlife. Moreover, the property contains an old foundation and cellar hole from a long-ago resident…one who no doubt would have been pleased with the love and care that Tom and Sarah have shown to the property over their years of land stewardship.

Situated adjacent to and near several other conserved properties, the Howe/Thorne property, straddling both sides of Perkins Road, serves an integral role in a complex of protected lands in this section of the Town of Gilmanton. This expansive landscape holds abundant benefits, including both wildlife habitat protection and recreational opportunities.

Route 140
20 acres & 14 acres
Public access, no formal trails
2007 & 2009

Two Conserved Properties

Christie Forest

As a community-oriented land trust, Five Rivers was extremely pleased on this conservation project in the heart of Gilmanton village. Nancy Christie approached Five Rivers with a long-held dream…to preserve the land that her parents once owned, a landscape that she has known intimately since childhood, a landscape that she loved dearly.

Consisting of an interesting mix of well-tended field, a mature forest, a pretty brook that meanders through a small ravine, and, most significantly, a 5-acre beaver pond, the property enjoys one additional special feature – its proximity to the town center, a picture-postcard New England village.

Tucked just behind the Gilmanton town offices (the former Gilmanton Academy building) and located within walking distant of the town church and general store, Nancy’s land holds special value for community residents. The beaver pond itself is particularly appealing. Home to an abundance of songbirds, ducks, and other wetland wildlife, the pond provides a perfect opportunity for townspeople, and others, to explore.

Nancy placed a donated conservation easement on her land in 2007. Subsequently, she plans to give the property to the Town of Gilmanton for management by the Gilmanton Conservation Commission. What a generous present! And what a wonderful natural asset it will no doubt prove to be for the people of Gilmanton in the years ahead.

Christie Forest

On the north side of Peaked Hill, near the heart of Gilmanton village, lies a 20-acre mixed-hardwood forest frequented by deer, bear, and other wildlife. Thanks to the vision and conservation ethic of its owner, Nancy Christie, it will forever remain intact, a legacy to its former owner, Nancy’s father Walter Steenstra.

Protected via a conservation easement donated to Five Rivers Conservation Trust in 2009, Nancy’s land is the second Gilmanton property that she conserved in as many years. This hillside property, lined by stone walls, rises 400 feet in elevation to a point with extensive westerly views.

The land will remain as is, with no timbering, save for the creation of nature trails that would be used for all to enjoy.

Pancake Hill Road
105 acres of farm, fields, and forests
Public access, no formal trails
October 2006

A scenic 105-acre rural property in Gilmanton was conserved in 2006 through a conservation easement donated to Five Rivers Conservation Trust. The owners of this farm and forest landscape, Peter and Carolyn Baldwin, made the generous decision to forego the potential for its future development in order to protect it permanently.

The conservation easement deed that the Baldwins conveyed to Five Rivers ensures that the property will forever remain undeveloped, while also allowing for continued farming and timber harvesting. The Baldwins will continue to reside on their cherished land, and whenever it gets passed on to others, the property will remain as is, a perpetual open space asset for future generations.

Located on Pancake Hill Road, the property has been enjoyed by the Baldwin family for over half a century. It consists of attractive fields and farmlands graced by a distinctive wooden barn, as well as an extensive mix of mature softwoods and hardwoods. In addition to stately maples, the forest includes an immense ash tree that has a base diameter of over five feet. The property is also noted for its views of distant countryside and for its undulating topography. A clear brook tumbles its way across a forest landscape frequented by deer, grouse, and other native wildlife.