Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...

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popular winter activity. The run has been removed but the path is still used for sledding. Theold Municipal Golf Course is located to the south of Highland Park and is the southern terminusof Rocky Mountain Ridge. It was originally a private course built and owned by RobertAmbercrombie in the late 1800s which was then purchased by the town. It is still town-owned,no longer used for golf and is currently overgrown. The Greenfield Open Space and RecreationPlan notes that an old ski jump on the steep, forested, eastern boundary of the property is badlyeroded, but that the site might be good for establishing a picnic area with scenic views. 16Poet’s Seat Tower is located on the ridge of Rocky Mountain, an observation point offering apanoramic view of Greenfield including the town center to the west as well as views of theConnecticut River and Turners Falls to the east. The tower was named Poet’s Seat due togeologic formations on site and has a long tradition of poets being drawn to the spot, inspired bythe beautiful views throughout the Pioneer Valley from this vantage point. The tower is locatedwithin Rocky Mountain Park, which consists of four contiguous parcels of land totaling 67 acreseast of Parkway and Mountain Road, and contains unique natural areas with ecologicalsensitivity and well used recreational trails.A wooden tower was built on thissite in 1870. The tower wasdeclared unsafe in 1900, andreconstructed as a 46-foot stonetower in 1912, using funds raised bythe town, the Rural Club, the Boardof Trade and the Harriet ColemenUrie estate. In 1976, the towerunderwent restoration, which waspaid for by the town as well asthrough funds raised by theView of Poet’s Seat Tower on Rocky Mountain from Beacon FieldGreenfield BicentennialCommission and the Greater Greenfield Jaycees. Steel beams and cement were replaced in theinterior, the spiral staircase was restored, the exterior was repointed, the stairs were replaced, andthe railings along the edge of the lookout were repaired. 17Rocky Mountain Conservation Area consists of 30 acres of forested land located between HighStreet and the Connecticut River, adjacent to and north of the area considered Rocky MountainPark by local residents. The land was donated to Greenfield by the Connecticut River Watershed16 2006 Greenfield Open Space and Recreation Plan, p.87 (picnic site recommendation originally from the FranklinConservation District)17 Massachusetts Historic Commission form 57Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program 22Greenfield Reconnaissance Report
Council for conservation purposes and is under the direct control of the ConservationCommission. No management activities have been undertaken.It was noted in the local identification meeting when identifying heritage landscapes inGreenfield that Rocky Mountain Ridge is considered an “Important Bird Area” under the MassAudubon Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program. This program is an inventory of sites in theCommonwealth that provide essential habitat to one or more species of breeding or nonbreedingbirds.Highland Park (29 acres) is located south of Rocky Mountain Park and includes Temple Woods,the spring-fed Highland Pond, and the Bear's Den/Sachem Head area where the Rocky MountainRidge line terminates, offering a view of the western hills and the Deerfield meadows.Recreational activities at the park include tennis courts and a hiking trail network which isheavily used due to its close proximity to downtown and residential areas. The pond wasformerly a popular site for ice skating for over 75 years, with a warming hut staffed byvolunteers on winter weekends. Included within this landscape are eighty-five acres ofpermanently protected forest and farm land owned by the Department of Conservation andRecreation located on the southeastern side of Rocky Mountain ridge, which includes forestedland and farm fields leased to a local farmer for the production of hay and vegetables, and SmeadIsland. 18Opportunities:• The Department of Public Works (DPW) has plans for dredging Highland Pond toaddress the eutrophication of the pond and also to improve the recreational capacities forice skating.• Multiple recreational and natural areas are located adjacent to one another, offering thetown recreational and wildlife habitat benefits, as well as the opportunity to manage andpromote appropriate use of these areas in a holistic manner.Issues:• The banks of Highland Pond are overgrown and there is currently no ice skatingpermitted, which was a popular recreational use of the area for approximately 75 years.• The protection status of some of the parcels in the Rocky Mountain area is unclear andneeds researching to determine if there is a need for protection for any parcels within thisarea.• Stewardship and maintenance are needed at Poet Seat’s Tower and surrounding area toprevent overuse and inappropriate activities.• The old municipal golf course is overgrown and not being utilized.18 Greenfield Open Space and Recreation Plan, 2006Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program 23Greenfield Reconnaissance Report
Page 1 and 2: Greenfield Reconnaissance ReportCon
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTIONHeritage landscapes are
Page 5 and 6: station and depot located in the do
Page 7 and 8: Massachusetts Heritage Landscape In
Page 9 and 10: The process that follows shows the
Page 11 and 12: William Coleman House, 1934 Histori
Page 13 and 14: the bank has always been run by mem
Page 15 and 16: the Historic Commission, Local Hist
Page 17 and 18: Franklin County FairgroundsThe Fair
Page 19 and 20: to use the same roof style and colo
Page 23: elated to the byway and the potenti
Page 29 and 30: Without permanent protection of thi
Page 31 and 32: 6. The Town might consider adopting
Page 33 and 34: PART II: PLANNING FOR HERITAGE LAND
Page 35 and 36: High, E. Main and Franklin Streets.
Page 37 and 38: IMPLEMENTATIONSTATUSCOMMUNITY PLANN
Page 39 and 40: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIESOutreach,
Page 41 and 42: RESOURCES:Draft Overview of Economi
Page 43 and 44: APPENDIX A: GREENFIELD HERITAGE LAN

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