- Pryde Brown
- Indian Run
- Speiden & Hoebel
- Cedar Ridge/Fullam
- Theriault
Pryde Brown
Conservation Easement
Noted photographer Pryde Brown lives on a magnificent 45-acre working farm. Her property is directly adjacent to the Alexauken Wildlife Management Area and contains not only land for livestock and hay production, but also nearly 40 acres of mature woodland. Ms. Brown raised her twelve children here, and now the farm serves as a central gathering point for her family.
Ms. Brown has always felt that her land was more than something to be owned. She noted, "Having lived here for 30 years, I have never felt the property belonged to me. Instead, I always felt like a participant in having access to this great gift. My wish is to share this gift with the community."
Not only is this farm beautiful and part of a family heritage, it is also a critical buffer to the 400 acre Alexauken Wildllife Management Area. This farm protects the Alexauken Creek and contains over 40 acres of mature woodland, providing good examples of Sourland's geology, including the shale of the Lockatong Formation and volcanic diabase rock.
The permanent preservation of Pryde Brown's property provided the missing piece in the Alexauken Creek Wildlife Management Area. It ensured additional contiguous forest to the area, and while maintaining her farm as a private property, Ms. Brown is allowing public access through her land to this 400-acre preserve. This property was preserved through a bargain sale and conservation easement. The transaction allowed Pryde Brown to receive income and keep the farm.
Pryde Brown's woodlands are important to neotropical migratory birds that breed and spend part of the year there, but can't subsist in fragmented woodlots. The land contributes to the habitat for many forest interior species.
Ms. Brown feels strongly about land preservation: "It is my fondest desire that people in other states recognize what we are doing with land preservation in New Jersey . In my opinion, we could set an example for the rest of the country." Through preservation, a beautiful property will continue as a special home and family center while providing beauty and environmental well being for us all. Some have said that spending time on the Pryde Brown Farm feels like being 1000 miles away, and traveling 100 years back in time. As a result of this conservation project, in 100 years the feeling will still be the same.
Indian Run
Facilitation to Public Ownership
The 19-acre Indian Run property houses one of the oldest and most significant rhododendron collections on the East Coast, with mature specimen plants of Dexter and Gable rhododendron hybrids in a woodland setting along the Indian Run Creek. The owners of this property preserved the land, despite the fact that it is easily accessible from I-195 and, therefore, highly developable. Fred Vahlsing, nephew of Josephine and Leon Heuser who originally owned the property, oversaw the preservation of his uncle's estate. Speaking on behalf of the family, he noted, "Jo and Lee's labor of love will last forever."
Leon Heuser was a chemist with the Squibb Company where he received the patent for filtering penicillin for commercial use, making it widely accessible as a medicine. In his forty-five years with Squibb, he traveled worldwide and received a total of sixteen patents. He retired in 1972 to his real love, the propagation and growing of rhododendrons.
Josephine and Leon Heuser worked together to provide rhododendron from their property to Princeton University , Mr. Heuser's alma mater, and many of the grand estates in Princeton . Leon Heuser was responsible for registering one new hybrid, Dexter's Honeydew, an orange flowered plant that can be found on the property. Josephine was known as the "Rhododendron queen" and founded the Princeton Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society.
The preservation effort was a unique collaboration between the Upper Freehold and Washington Township school districts, Mercer County and the American Rhododendron Society. Students in these two school districts will benefit from a hands-on outdoor classroom for the study of horticulture and everyone will enjoy the magnificent profusion of scent and color during rhododendron season each May.
Dr. Robert Connelly, Superintendent of the Upper Freehold Regional School District noted, "We see this as a great enhancement to our agricultural program. Because of this unique opportunity, we will be able to add four additional agricultural courses to our program, as well as enriching our science programs."
Today, there are over 100 hybrids on the property, created from 25 original cultivars. Rhododendrons create a mass of pinks, purples, whites, yellows, and reds from April into June. The collection is significant not only because of the variety of the hybrids, but also because of their large sizes. The rhododendrons were collected from plants throughout the world.
D&R Greenway Land Trust was instrumental in bringing the Upper Freehold School District into this effort. The property's house will be used for horticultural research and as an education facility. D&R Greenway Land Trust also handled all of the details for each involved party. The Princeton chapter of the American Rhododendron Society remains engaged in advising the care of the rhododendron collection. It will be open to the public during special times in addition to its educational use, Indian Run has tremendous potential to stimulate and revitalize agricultural and ornamental horticulture in our state.
Speiden & Hoebel
Facilitation & Conservation Easement
In Perpetuity: Neighbors Unite To Make A Difference
Two important steps taken together have resulted in a leap forward in preservation of the historic landscape along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in Griggstown. Neighbors Cindy and Bart Hoebel and Dr. Lois Speiden committed their adjacent properties to permanent preservation with D&R Greenway Land Trust. These preserved lands have become key links in the creation of a greenway along Bedens Brook, which flows from the Sourland Mountain to the Millstone River , passing through the 200-acre Ingersoll-Rand preserve.
The two adjoining historic farms preserve 130 acres of woodlands and fields that border the Canal between Griggstown and Rocky Hill. The history of the farms traces back to early Dutch settlers, to travels of Washington 's Revolutionary Army through the valley, and to an early twentieth century terra cotta factory that used the Hoebel boardinghouse for its workers.
Bart and Cindy Hoebel purchased their 45-acre "Little Valley Farm" 25 years ago as a real estate investment, renting the old boardinghouse and planting a crop of 3000 seedling pines to help pay the mortgage. Over the years Bart says he fell in love with the beauty and history of the old place and wanted to preserve it. The Hoebels entered into a bargain sale with D&R Greenway Land Trust to preserve the land through conservation and agricultural easements. Bart and Cindy retain ownership of their property and continue to receive income from agricultural uses while preserving 90% of their land as open space. Bart pointed out with delight, "This is a very different and far better investment than I ever imagined. [D&R Greenway Land Trust] supporters and New Jersey taxpayers can be proud of contributing to a beautiful recreational area, avian flyway, wildlife sanctuary, waterway and a heritage corridor in the midst of a densely populated area."
Bart is creating two miles of walking and riding trails for public access. These trails connect to the canal towpath at the Little Valley bridge. "Come for a walk where you cannot hear a car," Bart encourages outdoor enthusiasts, "but you may hear birds and horses and see pine trees decorated with fireflies."
Neighboring property owner Dr. Lois Speiden and her family grew organic vegetables and blueberries on her 85-acre farm, selling their harvests at the Whole Earth Center of Princeton. It was a long-term dream of Lois Speiden to own a farm, and she wanted to ensure it would stay a farm forever. She sold her property to D&R Greenway Land Trust through a bargain sale that provided her with a tax deduction, a cash sale, and the satisfaction of leaving a family legacy of preserved open space.
D&R Greenway Land Trust partnered with Franklin Township , Somerset County Parks and the New Jersey Green Acres Program to preserve these lands. Somerset County and Franklin Township look forward to a continued partnership with D&R Greenway Land Trust.
Tom Boccino of Somerset County Parks is enthusiastic about new opportunities. "It was actually D&R Greenway Land Trust that brought these [Hoebel and Speiden] properties to our attention. It was a really great starting point for the county in Franklin Township . It opened a lot of doors to partnering and we've come a long way in establishing a presence in that area. We are now working with the township's Open Space Advisory Committee and exchanging information. It's been a totally positive experience working with D&R Greenway Land Trust. We hope to keep on working with them."
D&R Greenway Land Trust is grateful to Bart and Cindy Hoebel and their family and to Dr. Lois Speiden for their joint commitment to preserve these lands that will benefit generations to come. When neighbors join together to protect their lands, they can make a lasting impact by increasing the conservation benefit and preserving the quality of life in their community. It is indeed true that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Cedar Ridge/Fullam
Acquisition & Conservation Easement
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
Ecclesiastes 1:4
Walter Fullam loved the quiet beauty and serenity of his rural Hopewell property, Cedar Ridge, and wanted to share it with others. When his sons were young, he shared the land with Boy Scouts who enjoyed nature hikes and camping trips at Cedar Ridge. When it came time to decide the future of his land, Walter placed his trust in D&R Greenway Land Trust.
Walter began his conservation journey years before, when he placed a conservation easement on family lands he owned in Massachusetts . Working with The Trustees of Reservations, the oldest land trust in the country, Walter was a pioneer in land conservation long before others took up the cause. In 1991, Walter Fullam made a commitment to preserve his 80 acres on Van Dyke Road in Hopewell with D&R Greenway Land Trust.
The conservation easement on Cedar Ridge ensures that the land will never be developed. In a further act of generosity, Walter invited the public to experience the land by giving the public access to trails that he helped to clear and maintain over the years. Walter shared his stewardship philosophy in D&R Greenway Land Trust's first video, A Legacy of Land Protection: "It's important to preserve the land we love. I feel peace and calm when I walk the fields and woods among birds and wildflowers."
The entire 80-acre preserve is part of the 21-mile Stony Brook Greenway which will one day link protected lands from the brook's headwaters on the Sourland Mountain to the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park in Princeton . Today, the Cedar Ridge Trail winds through 30 acres of the Fullam property, offering visitors a walk through protected meadows and woodlands abundant with wildlife. Numerous native wildflowers grow in the meadows, and bluebirds can be found nesting in the boxes placed on the property by Walter. Hikers can follow the trail along the spring-fed Stony Brook where may fly and stone fly nymphs are thriving, indicating clean water. Beyond the meadows stands a majestic oak-hickory forest and a thick stand of cedar, a unique habitat favored by long-eared owls, Cooper's hawks and prairie warblers. A small parking area can be accessed along Van Dyke Road , where a colorful kiosk welcomes visitors to the trail.
When Walter passed away, he left a legacy of conservation by ensuring that the place he cared for so deeply would remain forever wild. He also passed his philosophy of stewardship on to his family. His wife Dorothy and sons Francis, W. Ross, and Caleb carry on with the values that Walter espoused. All of us at D&R Greenway Land Trust are grateful for Walter's foresight. As his son Francis explained, "My father understood that the land could restore us and bring us together as a community."
Theriault
Conservation Easement
In December 1999, D&R Greenway Land Trust partnered with Mercer County and the New Jersey Green Acres Program to purchase a conservation easement from Hopewell Township resident Ethel Theriault. The easement protects twenty acres in Hopewell Township adjacent to the Cedar Ridge Preserve on Van Dyke Road extending the Cedar Ridge Preserve to nearly 110 acres.
Landowners' reasons for preserving land are as diverse as the landowners themselves. Each individual has a unique story that calls them to protect the land, and unique needs that determine the structure of the land protection agreement. Ethel Theriault's reasons and commitment to caring for her land are deeply rooted in the earth. Her philosophy to live gently and responsibly toward the earth is reflected in the beautiful rugs she makes from remnants of old clothes, and in the worldly marionettes to whom she gives life. Rumpelstiltskin-like, she spins straw into gold.
"I just don't think the land on this farm can support any more houses," she states. It was here that this native of New England got a breath of fresh air from her then city environs. She and her husband Gerry came looking for "a little piece of Maine " and found it on a little farm on forty-two acres nestled in the rolling hills of the Sourlands.
"Oh, it was heaven," she beamed, her face lighting up with joy as she reminisced about her move from Haddon Heights to Hopewell . "It felt really liberating. We were tucked back here off of Stony Brook Road which was dirt then, and we had the long driveway. The four children could roam the whole farm, camp out in the woods, and build tree houses; they had the run of the place. We had gardens and my husband had a great hobby of cutting down multi-flora roses," she added with a laugh.
After Ethel's husband Gerry died in 1986, the roses started creeping in on her. In response to her lamentations, she received two gifts: from her oldest son, a most beautifully illustrated book of Briar Rose, and from the second son, a goat- one gift for the spirit and one for the body.
Today, Briar Rose holds a spot on her bookshelf, the goat is gone, and the roses are once again held at bay by the activities of a working farm, and a herd of miniature horses and donkeys graze and roam the meadows. Mrs. Theriault's daughter-in-law, Mary Lou, runs Brumar Farms, where she raises and sells the miniature horses and donkeys for pets. The farm feels simultaneously quiet and alive.
Mrs. Theirault loves the open space and her privacy. She wanted to protect her land and continue to live there - and wanted a flow of income. To help her meet her goals, D&R Greenway Land Trust partnered with Wade and Art Martin of the Martin Group, PaineWebber of Princeton, to identify a solution that would meet these needs. Again, in Rumplestiltskin-style, the Martin Group and D&R Greenway Land Trust partnered to spin straw into gold. They showed Mrs. Theriault how she could use traditional financial planning tools in creative new ways to "live off her land."
The solution resulted in Mrs. Theriault placing a conservation easement on her farm, permanently protecting her land. The easement allows her to continue to live there, and her son Bruce and Mary Lou to continue the farm. With a portion of the proceeds from the bargain sale of the conservation easement, D&R Greenway Land Trust purchased an annuity that will provide Mrs. Theriault an income for life. She also received a lump sum now to meet some current expenses, including replacing her car. True to form and mindful of the environment, the new car she plans to purchase will be electrically powered.
In describing the process, Mrs. Theriault said, "It was so much fun I want to do it again. D&R Greenway Land Trust's is great to work with. This isn't just for the wealthy. Everyone can take advantage of it." In fact, when she was being photographed for this story, she requested, "Take my photo in front of the sheds or barn - somewhere that shows the down-to-earth realities of this old farm. I want everyone to know this opportunity is accessible to them."