Preserved! The Galloway Woodlands
3.5 acres in Cotuit
The 3.5-acre Galloway Property in Cotuit is now officially protected! Barnstable Land Trust is the owner of this vital parcel. The Town of Barnstable authorized Community Preservation Funds to purchase a conservation restriction on the land.
According to Jaci Barton, BLT Executive Director, “The Town’s purchase of a conservation restriction created a partnership that permanently protects the land. We call it the ‘belt and suspenders’ approach to land conservation. The Galloway land is now as protected as any parcel can be.”
The Galloway land, a classic pine-oak forest, has long been a priority for protection because it falls within the Little River Greenbelt, a major corridor in Barnstable’s Open Space Plan. It is one of only two remaining vacant parcels abutting the 150-acre Eagle Pond Sanctuary.
Since the Galloway land is upgradient of shellfish beds, preserving it also helps protect the water quality of Cotuit Bay, which is vital habitat for the famed Cotuit oyster and a major recreational resource in the Town of Barnstable.
The purchase price of $500,000 was raised over a period of one year. BLT wishes to thank all those who helped make this acquisition a success: The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Trust, the Bafflin Foundation, the Wharton Foundation, and many community-minded individual donors. We could not have done it without you!
Why the Galloway Property Matters…
Eagle Pond Sanctuary, the Town’s most popular privately held conservation area, is being loved to death. Acquisition of the 3.5-acre Galloway Property allows for the creation of a new access point into the Sanctuary, helping reroute traffic away from sensitive environmental areas.
The Galloway land falls within the Little River Corridor greenbelt that is a major “fingerlink” in our Town’s Open Space Plan. Both wildlife and humans alike will benefit from the preservation of the Galloway Property, which:
- adjoins an 805-acre protected greenbelt that spans the Towns of Barnstable and Mashpee;
- maintains the integrity of forested woodland to prevent wildlife fragmentation;
- reduces nitrogen loading to protect surface water quality;
- enhances our sole source aquifer;
- protects down-gradient shellfish beds, an important part of Barnstable’s cultural heritage;
- refreshes the surface waters of the Cotuit Bay estuary, a major aquatic recreational area;
- creates a new access point into the adjacent Eagle Pond Sanctuary;
- encourages passive recreational pursuits such as walking and nature study.
Galloway’s Link to Americana…
The Galloway Property was once part of the vast holdings of Col. Augustus T. Perkins who owned the land surrounding Eagle Pond. Col. Perkins built the first summer home on the Cotuit waterfront in 1863, which he called “Sandandwood.” A local leader of the minority Democratic Party, he received patronage from President Cleveland of the office of postmistress, which he gave to his governess, thereby precipitating Cotuit’s biggest political battle.
He was the grandson of Thomas H. Perkins, who amassed a fortune in the China trade shipping business. Thomas Perkins was the creator of America’s first railway, and his philanthropies included the Boston Athenaeum, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bunker Hill Monument, and the Perkins Institute for the Blind, which is located in Thomas Perkins’ family home.