Thank you to the Town of Marshfield, which
continues to support the acquisition and improvement of conservation land! Three
years ago, the town acquired the 37.5-acre Pratt Property on South River
Street, and this past April, funds were allocated both to create trails and
bridges on the Pratt, and to construct a new canoe and kayak launch around the
corner, on the South River.
This is great news! In addition to gaining a
much-needed upstream access point for the South River, we are seeing the
step-by-step development of a greenway around a section of the river that was
once weed-choked, polluted and neglected. I wanted to understand how the
various properties fit together, so one afternoon in mid-June I visited the
Pratt as well as some of the South River Greenway’s other open spaces.
The Pratt Property is located at 172 South
River Street. When you turn into the driveway, you’ll see an old farmhouse and
barn. The trails are out back. I parked behind the barn, and surveyed the
landscape, looking for a trailhead or some other indication of where to go
next. Eventually I spotted a red metal arrow, affixed to a tree. From there,
the trail was well-marked and easy to follow.
The path from the driveway leads through the
woods toward the South River. Approaching the marsh, there is a fork. If you go
to the right (west), you’ll skirt along the edge of the marsh, and across two
concrete floodgates. They are no longer in use, and appear to be vestiges of
the property’s agricultural history.
The Pratt Property was originally owned by
one of Marshfield’s early settlers, Timothy Williamson, who operated the town “ordinary.”
He purchased the land in 1663, and it stayed in his family until the mid-1800s.
The house itself was constructed in 1700. Williamson’s descendants eventually
sold the land to the Pratts, who kept it for another 120 years.
After the flood gates, the westbound trail
passes over a small bridge, traversing one of the property’s two brooks, and
then continues into the woods. It ends relatively soon thereafter, at Willow
Street.
Heading back to the fork, the trail that goes
to the left (east) is somewhat longer. It too crosses over a brook. It’s worth
noting that both of the bridges on the property are quite eye-catching. They are
constructed of tree limbs, with their bark intact, which lends the bridges not
only a picturesque quality, but also some traction. I don’t mean to suggest
that the bridges are unsafe in any way! They appear to be quite strong.
The eastbound trail continues through the
woods as well, and eventually intersects with the Bridle Path, a former
railroad bed converted to an unpaved multi-use trail, that bisects the town.
Here’s where the greenway concept comes in.
If you go left (north) on the Bridle Path, you can walk (or run or bike) all
the way to Summer Street in Marshfield Hills, passing along the Marshfield
Fairgrounds and through the Carolina Hill conservation lands. If you go right
(south), you will soon arrive at the Keville Footbridge, which passes directly
over the South River and offers some lovely views.
Continuing south on the Bridle Path, you will
arrive at the parking area for the Ocean Street (Route 139) CVS store. And then
if you head west on 139, the very next thing you’ll see is Dandelion Park, a
charming little green space that in the late 2000s replaced a dilapidated gas
station.
Continuing west on Route 139, look for the
Cedar Grove Cemetery. You could stay on the sidewalk along the busy highway, but
if you’re not averse to graveyards, walk through this historic property and
enjoy some additional river views. Eventually you will arrive at the First
Congregational Church. It’s a short walk back to the Pratt Property from there
– just continue west on 139 and turn right on Willow Street. After you cross
the river, you can enter the property from the terminus of the first trail
detailed above.
Or, if you’d like to extend your experience
of the burgeoning South River Greenway, continue along Route 139 to South River
Park. This 1.7-acre property, established in 2012 serves as a companion
to the town’s Veterans Memorial Park, just a few hundred yards upstream. The
new park features a granite tribute to Marshfield-based soldiers who served recent
wars, as well as a short boardwalk to the river.
Volunteers for the North and South Rivers Watershed
Association have been working within South River Park for three years now, to
remove an invasive plant, Japanese Knotweed, from the banks of the river. There
are also efforts underway to enhance the meadow area, and to install
interpretive signage, plus more general weeding and maintenance tasks. If this
is the kind of work you enjoy, please consider pitching in. Additional
volunteers are welcomed with open arms. (Contact NSRWA – see below.)
It’s gratifying to
see the South River Greenway coming together . . . and also exciting to look
ahead! The canoe and kayak launch – scheduled for a grand opening next spring
-- will be a very-welcome addition to the community. Initial funding was
provided via Marshfield’s Community Preservation Committee. A local non-profit
– Good Will Hunters – will be hosting an additional fundraiser this fall. The
South River Duck Derby (October 11) will provide funds to help enhance and
maintain the canoe and kayak launch in the future.
by Kezia Bacon, June 2015
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Kezia Bacon's articles
appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local
non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance
and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For
membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at
(781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 19 years of Nature (Human and
Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com
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