Rededication Is Nov. 6—

Newtown Lions Club Completes Nature Center Improvement Project

By Jan Howard

It has been described as the best-kept secret in town. The Orchard Hill Nature Center on Huntingtown Road is a sanctuary for both animal and human life.

In late 2001, the Newtown Lions Club adopted the project of making Orchard Hill into a true nature center. That project has now reached fruition.

“The Lions Club has worked on Orchard Hill Nature Center for three years, and we are proud of the work we have done there,” Lion Gordon Williams, chairman of the project, said last week. “Our hope is that our efforts will enhance the enjoyment of Newtowners in this park.”

On Saturday, November 6, at 10 am, townspeople are invited to see the fruits of this three-year labor and to participate in a rededication of the nature center.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal and Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian will speak. Refreshments will be served, and Lions Club members will offer guided walks of the four trails.

The kiosk, which welcomes visitors into the Huntingtown Road entrance to the park, for years stood basically empty except for a small black and white map. “Visitors on November 6 will see that it now contains attractive color photos by Lion Frank Gardner, a narrative history of the park by Lions Oscar Berendsohn and Howard Gorham, and a redesigned map done by Land Engineering of Monroe,” Mr Williams said.

Attached to the kiosk is a holder, designed by Lion Skip Sims, that contains maps that people may use to help guide them during their visits to the park.

“As you walk through the park and its four trails, you will spot 12 trees that have been earmarked by State Forester Larry Rousseau as worthy of note,” Mr Williams said. The trees, including trembling or quaking aspen, yellow birch, northern red oak, and black cherry, are described in the pamphlet available at the kiosk and marked on the map.

“On the blue trail you not only get great views of the water fall of the branch of the Pootatuck River but also good views of the foundations of the dam that held the river back and of the factory walls,” Mr Williams said. A sign composed by Mr Gorham and Mr Berendsohn and created by Sign A Rama of Danbury relates the history of the factories and dam.

In 2002, the Lions’ project was enhanced by a donation from a former Newtown High School student, Ronald J. Paproski, who donated to the Lions Club a model of what the mill must have looked like, plus a diorama of the property as it appeared in 1984.

As a Newtown High School senior in 1984, Mr Paproski investigated the natural and historic aspects of the Orchard Hill property. His goal was to trace the area from the early 1700s to the present, with special emphasis on the mill site, how it changed during the years, and what its uses were. He won a scholarship from Vitramon Inc by using historical records and archeological information to create a model of the old mill that had existed on the property.

This unique habitat was originally a farm settled in the 1700s, with fields, old farm roads, and New England stonewalls. A natural aspect of the land is the north branch of the Pootatuck River, which provided water for the home and farm plus power to run a variety of mills on the property.

Early records describe a sawmill for developing lumber, a gristmill for grinding flour, and a cider mill. There was also a wool-carding mill for making yarn and a blacksmith’s shop.

Prior to the 1700s, this land was probably a hunting ground for the Pootatuck Indians. Starting in the 1760s, members of the Nichols family lived on the farm for about 90 years. Deeds from Nathanial Nichols to Peter Nichols in the 1760s mention a barn, orchard, and a house as part of 52 acres. Peter Nichols had a wool carding facility. In 1855, a Charles B. Nichols ran the mill, advertising the manufacture of “wool stocking yarn…wool carded to order, take wool for pay.” He did not own the factory, but apparently operated it under lease or agreement with his sisters, Julia Ann and Harriet Nichols.

During his study of the property, Mr Paproski found that according to probate court and tax records, the Nichols family built the huge, curved dam at the site. In 1811, the father of Peter and Simeon Nichols gave permission to his two sons to build a dam and mill of any description.

The 125-foot-long, 23-foot-high dam, built of earth and granite blocks, was constructed between 1811 and 1830. A smaller dam was abandoned when the upper dam was built.

Following the Nichols family, various people owned the farm and mill. The carding shop was later sold to Charles Gray who eventually leased it to Alexander and David A. Smith. In 1855 the land was divided and 14 acres and dwellings, barn, sawmill, and factory were sold to Ellinor Donnellson. It then passed through a number of owners to James M. Beers in 1867, who purchased only the sawmill.

In 1900 the mill and factory on the site burned down. In 1915, it was acquired from Catherine and Villeroy Hard, Sr, by the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company for its watershed. It leased the haying rights on the land to various persons until its sale to the town. In 1976 the people of Newtown purchased the property for $60,000. When the property was purchased, it was first considered for active recreation, but a campaign spearheaded by local residents resulted in the creation of the nature center.

In 1983, Huntingtown Road resident George W. Adams, Albert S. Knapp, and other Newtown residents outlined the unique natural and historical features of the property, including the dam and remnants of early industry. They sought an environmental review, which was done by King’s Mark, a resource conservation and development company. It recommended that the site be used for passive recreation, and led to the creation of the nature center.

The park opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. No motor vehicles, fires, or camping are allowed on the property, and visitors are requested to leave all flowers, trees, and plants for others to enjoy. Take only pictures, the park brochure advises.

The 25 acres of the Orchard Hill Nature Preserve has had a major reconditioning. All Newtown residents are invited to attend the rededication to celebrate the new look of a beautiful park on Saturday, November 6