WOODSTOCK – A historic farmhouse and its accompanying 140 acres of fields and woods just went on the market, but not before conservation easements were secured.

Known as the General Alger Farm, the 1786 red-stained dwelling is located on Route 232, near the power line crossing and Route 26 intersection.

“It’s one of those farms that we all drive by and say, ‘Oh, that’s beautiful,'” said Mahoosuc Land Trust Director Marcel Polak.

After being contacted in September by owner Cornelia A. Greaves, Polak said conservation easements on 130 of the 140 acres were secured to block the land from future subdivision. Easement terms do allow for commercial forestry and noncommercial agriculture, while maintaining habitat for wildlife and the land’s open space.

The other 10 acres with the house and barn are under a deed covenant for residential and agricultural use only, Polak added.

The land trust is responsible for monitoring the easement terms and keeping the fields in the condition they’re in now.

“Our goal is to protect the land, which has significant public benefits and open farm field that we hope will be farmed again. It’s important historically and statewide because we need to keep our traditional farms alive in some way,” Polak said.

After Greaves secured the easement and covenant, she donated the property to the Maine Sea Coast Mission in Ellsworth. Greaves is a director at the mission. Polak said the property passed on to Greaves when General Alger, her cousin, died in the 1980s.

Polak said money raised by the property’s sale would be used by the mission to provide educational scholarships for Washington County students in art and creative writing.

“In one fell swoop, two communities have really benefited from this. It’s pretty extraordinary,” Polak added after the deal was closed Wednesday.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link