The Misery Islands (Great Misery Island 42°32′55″N70°47′53″W / 42.54861°N 70.79806°W and Little Misery Island 42°32′40″N70°47′53″W / 42.54444°N 70.79806°W ) are an 87-acre (350,000 m2) nature reserve established in 1935 in Salem Sound close to the Salem Harbor in Salem, Massachusetts. It is managed by the Trustees of Reservations. [1] The islands are a part of the city of Salem, although they are much closer to the mainland of the city of Beverly, in whose aquatic territory they lie.
The islands' name come from shipbuilder Robert Moulton who was stranded on the islands during a winter storm in the 1620s. Great Misery Island, in the past, has had numerous structures on it. In the early 1900s, there was a private club that catered to socialites from Boston and surrounding areas. [2] There was a casino, saltwater swimming area, 9-hole golf course (all par 3s) and lounge. After several years of business, the club went bankrupt and was abandoned. The land was sold off to private owners, many of whom built cottages on the land. Many records show that upwards of 25 cottages were on the island at one time. From 1916 to 1917, the Massachusetts State Militia Aviation Camp was an encampment of the Massachusetts Naval Air Militia on the island. [3]
In the late 1920s a fire burned the majority of the structures down. The fire was blamed on a brush fire, but many of the residents believed it may have been set by visitors from land, since the fire happened during the off-season when owners were not there and cottages had been closed for the season. During the 1940s, a seaplane hangar was built on the west side of the island and was used for private charters, the hangar has since been removed but parts of the foundation can still be found along the beach.
In 1935, a private nonprofit group, the North Shore Association, was formed to protect the land from development. [2] The association purchased most of the island, and turned it over to The Trustees of Reservation for preservation. The Trustees acquired the remainder of the island by gift and purchase between 1938 and 1997. The island is now uninhabited and is open to the public for recreation. [1] [4]
Bakers Island is a small, private residential island in Massachusetts Bay, in Salem, Massachusetts. It is located southeast of Great Misery Island & Little Misery Island, northeast of North Gooseberry Island and South Gooseberry Island, and far northeast of Children's Island. It is the outermost island on the main shipping channel into Salem Harbor. Bakers Island Light, located on the island's northern side, is used for navigation.
Great Brewster Island is one of the outer islands in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, situated some 9 miles (14 km) offshore of downtown Boston. The island has a permanent size of 18 acres (73,000 m2), plus an intertidal zone of a further 49 acres (200,000 m2). Unlike the other outer islands, which are low-lying outcroppings of bedrock, Great Brewster is a drumlin which reaches a height of over 100 feet above sea level. It has vegetation cover consisting of Apple Trees, Pear Trees, Sumac, Beach Roses, Grasses and Common Reeds, together with a large Gull colony. The birds are aggressive during nesting season and access by humans, which is by private boat only, is discouraged during that time.
Bear Swamp is a forested parkland in Ashfield, Massachusetts. The Trustees of Reservations owns and maintains the property.
Ashintully Gardens is a 120 acre (0.5 km²) estate in Tyringham, Massachusetts that is maintained by The Trustees of Reservations land trust. The gardens, and the adjoining 594 acres (2.4 km²) McLennan Reservation, were the gift of John Stewart McLennan Jr., and his wife Katharine. The name Ashintully comes from Gaelic Eas an Tulaich and means "cascade of the hillock".
Crowninshield Island, also known as Brown's Island, is a small island off the shore of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Since 1955, it has been maintained by The Trustees of Reservations. For all Trustees of Reservations purposes, the island is referred to as Crowninshield Island, however federally the island is still maintained as "Brown's Island", and it remains better known by that name locally.
The Charles W. Ward Reservation is a 704-acre (285 ha) open space reserve located in Andover and North Andover, Massachusetts, 20 miles (32 km) north of Boston. The reserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations, is notable for its open drumlin hilltops and vistas encompassing Boston and Salem. The Ward Reservation offers 13 miles (21 km) of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing; it is also a link in the 200-mile (320 km) Bay Circuit Trail system.
Holmes Reservation is a conservation parcel located in Plymouth, Massachusetts. During the American Revolution, the land was used as a muster ground for the Plymouth militia. The property is owned by The Trustees of Reservations, starting with a donation, with endowment, by the Holmes family in 1944.
Monohansett was a sidewheel steamer operating as a ferry serving the island of Martha's Vineyard during the late nineteenth century. She was named after Monohansett Island, a tiny 12-acre (4.9-hectare) island off Naushon Island.
Royalston Falls is a 50 foot (15 m) waterfall and granite gorge located in Royalston, Massachusetts along Falls Brook, a tributary of the Tully River which in turn is a tributary of the Millers River. The falls are part of a 217-acre (88 ha) open space preserve acquired in 1951 by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations. The 22-mile (35 km) Tully Trail and the 110-mile (180 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, a National Recreation Trail, pass through the property.
Bear's Den is a 6-acre (24,000 m2) nature reserve in New Salem, Massachusetts. The reservation is close to the Quabbin Reservoir and is owned by the Trustees of Reservations.
Goose Pond Reservation is a 112-acre (0.45 km2) nature preserve in Lee, Massachusetts and is managed by the Trustees of Reservations as a wilderness area. There are no trails around the shoreline as it is much too rocky, but the area can be accessed by boat from the nearby boat ramp. The reservation is adjacent to National Park Service land and is crossed by the Appalachian Trail.
Jacobs Hill is a 173-acre (70 ha) open space preserve in Royalston, Massachusetts acquired in 1975 by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations. The preserve includes scenic vistas, ledges, woodlands, a northern bog, and Spirit Falls, a 30 foot (9.1 m) waterfall. The 22-mile (35 km) Tully Trail passes through the property. Views from the ledges include the Berkshires as well as nearby Long Pond and the Tully River Valley, Tully Mountain, and Mount Grace.
North Common Meadow is a 25-acre (10 ha) open space preserve in the town of Petersham, Massachusetts. The property, part of a larger, contiguous area of protected open space including Harvard Forest and The Trustees of Reservations' Brooks Woodland Preserve, is maintained as grassland in keeping with the town's rural character.
The Swift River Reservation is a 439-acre (178 ha) open space preserve located in Petersham, Massachusetts, United States. The property, named after the East Branch of the Swift River, is managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations and offers 7 miles (11 km) of trails available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. Ledges, river corridor, woodlands, scenic vistas, and wetlands characterize the preserve.
The Leeds Club is a Grade II* listed Victorian building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on Albion Place in the city centre.
Choate Island, also known as Hog Island, is an island located in the Essex River Estuary in Essex, Massachusetts. It is part of the Crane Wildlife Refuge, which is owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations. The 135-acre (0.55 km2) island is a refuge for a variety of birds and animals. It is surrounded by a salt marsh and has a spruce forest which was planted in the 1930s and makes the island easily visible from much of the surrounding area. The island has been inhabited by the Native Americans of the area, and was visited by early Europeans, who established farming on the island. The Choate House, built around 1730, remains relatively unchanged.
Appleton Farms is a park in Ipswich, Massachusetts, owned and maintained by The Trustees of Reservations. The property was deeded to the Trustees in 1998. The land was granted to Samuel Appleton, an immigrant from Little Waldingfield, England, in 1638 by the town of Ipswich and is one of the oldest continuously operating farms in Massachusetts. In 2002, The Trustees of Reservations established a vegetable Community Supported Agriculture Program. Also maintained by the Trustees of Reservations is the adjacent Appleton Farms Grass Rides. The properties include 4 miles (6.4 km) of walking trails.
Stavros Reservation is a nature reserve located in Essex, Massachusetts. The property is owned by The Trustees of Reservations through a 1952 gift and a 1955 purchase. Most of the approximately 50-acre (20 ha) reservation consists of salt marsh. The property encompasses Whites Hill, which includes fine views of the Massachusetts coast, including Crane Beach.
Massachusetts State Militia Aviation Camp was an encampment of the Massachusetts Naval Air Militia that existed on Great Misery Island in Salem, Massachusetts from 1916 to 1917.
The Doyle Community Park & Center, located in the city of Leominster, Massachusetts, is a 170-acre (69 ha) landscaped urban park and open space reservation managed by The Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit conservation organization. It is also the location of the Doyle Center: a conservation education center, regional office, and green building initiative. The property consists of three main areas: Pierce Meadow, a landscaped urban park and former estate of Harry W. Pierce; the Doyle Center grounds, buildings, and adjoining woodlots; and a hay field and adjoining wetland.
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