Cabot Camp
View of the site taken from the French King Bridge, looking south. Look closely and you will see remnants of the sawmill foundation,(just beyond the sand bar).
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Proposed Plan for Cabot Camp
The site at Cabot Camp made up of three individual parcels
has been under the owenership of Turners Falls Power and Electric
Company, Western Mass. Electric, and Northeast Utilities for over
75 years and is soon to be for sale. The most important step towards
the preservation of Cabot Camp is to have it be recognized by
the state as a historic site and get it registered as such. 240
acres immediately adjacent to the site are currently protected
under chapter 61A. This would fill an important gap in the larger
regional greenway system.
The proposed design reflects the overriding intent to restore
the site to what most likely was its original condition. For example,
some of the original stone walls had been vandalized and the wrought
iron gates that kept the carriages safe at night are no longer
intact. Various kiosks are strategically located throughout the
site to guide and educate the visitor of the sites fascinating
history. Other site improvements include measures taken to enhance
the current uses of the site, which include fishing, canoeing,
and passive recreation. Much of this can be achieved through eradication
of invasive plants along the southern shore of the Connecticut
River. This would expose the saw mill foundation and create a
canoe launch/beach area. Furthermore, selective removal of dead
declining trees and underbrush would open up views to both rivers
from the site s well as the redeveloped parking lot. To further
link the site uses with its history, the proposal calls for an
antique stagecoach, horseshoe pits, and beach side seating made
of rough-cut logs.
This proposal ensures that Cabot Camp will remain as a valuable
asset to the town of Montague as well as a recreational/educational
node along the larger New England Greenway system.