Camden, Maine - Thanks to the generosity of Susan Pendleton, Coastal Mountains Land Trust now owns a new, two acre preserve in Camden. Though smaller than most parcels owned by the Land Trust, this new preserve will deliver value far beyond its size as the new trailhead and parking area for the Land Trust's Bald Mountain Trail.
Over the past few years the parking area currently serving this trail has become overwhelmed by the popularity of that spectacular hike. The lot is often crowded in clear weather, and parking overflows onto the shoulder of the Barnestown Road. But there isn't much shoulder, and the parking area is located just below the crest of a hill. The result is a potential public safety hazard. Though the Land Trust has explored various ways to address this condition, no solution emerged. Then Ms. Pendleton stopped into the Land Trust office to ask if her family homestead might be useful as conservation land.
The Pendleton parcel is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of the Barnestown and Gillette Roads. It has been in the Ms. Pendleton's family for approximately 200 years, originally owned by her ancestors, the Barnes family. As the Barnes family expanded, so many of its extended members settled in the locale that it became know as Barnestown. Susan inherited the homestead parcel from her father, Philip Pendleton (son of Florence Barnes Pendleton), who donated a large portion of the Barnes-Pendleton Tract of the Bald Mountain Preserve to the Land Trust in 2007. The Bald Mountain trailhead and parking area is presently located on that Tract. Public access to natural lands seems to run in the family!
Upon inheriting the property, Ms. Pendleton had to face a heart-wrenching decision. What should be done with this house, which has been in her family for so long? Parts of the house date to about 1800, other parts were added later, and all of it was remodeled in different stages. The house was simply exhausted from so much time and use and had reached the end of its reasonable life. The cost of restoration was beyond the family’s means, yet the thought of selling the homestead property was unthinkable.
According to Ms. Pendleton, “I was faced with the saddest and most difficult decision of my life, when the Coastal Mountains Land Trust came to the rescue. The Land Trust worked with me to develop a plan to ensure that that the homestead site would be preserved as a positive contribution to conservation efforts in this area. Although it is with great sorrow that we realize that we must say good-bye to the Barnestown family home, the spirit of my family will remain in the land that will be preserved and protected for the enjoyment of future generations.”
Prior to accepting the parcel, the Land Trust considered the history of the house, its condition, and feasibility for restoration. Upon examination, it quickly became clear that restoration would be very difficult and extremely expensive. The Land Trust consulted with the Walsh History Center of the Camden Public Library, Camden-Rockport Historical Society, Hope Historical Society, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, and several individuals familiar with the history of the Barnestown area. Unfortunately, the house is not documented in any of the many historical accounts of the area, nor is much known anecdotally about its history. Given that, the Land Trust has decided that the best course is to thoroughly document the house as it is at present, which has been done by staff from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. Then a contractor will be engaged to salvage the recoverable historical elements of the structure--hand-hewn beams, doors, trim, hardware, etc.--for reuse in other building restorations, and the rest will be removed from the property.
After the building site is regraded and seeded this fall, the Land Trust will plan the new parking area and trailhead improvements and work on the trail connection between the Pendleton parcel and the Bald Mountain Trail. When that is completed, the present parking lot serving the trail will be closed. In the meantime, the Land Trust requests that visitors to the Bald Mountain Trail do not park on the Barnestown Road if the current parking lot is full.
Coastal Mountains Land Trust permanently conserves land to benefit the natural and human communities of western Penobscot Bay. In its 26th year, the 9,129 acres of land conserved by the Land Trust host 30 miles of trails and protect biological diversity, water resources, productive farms and forests, and scenic landscapes, all of which are essential to sustaining our quality of place. To learn more about the Land Trust, visit www.coastalmountains.org or call (207) 236-7091.
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