Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller

A Vision for the Park "... there is a mandate to invent an entirely new kind ofpark. It must be one where the human stories and the natural history are intertwined; where the relatively small acreage serves as an educational resource for the entire National Park Service and a seedbedfor American environmental thought; and where the legacy of American conservation and itsfuture enter into dialogue, generating a new environmental paradigm for our day." A Legacy of Stewardshii Logging in Vermont, 19th century. Laurance 5. and Mary F. Rockefeller, 1982. 1890, Billings's plan was sustained by t h r e e generations o f remarkable w o m e n , first by his w i f e Julia a n d t h e i r t h r e e daughters, Elizabeth, Mary, and Laura, a n d t h e n by Billings's granddaughter, Mary French. o I c > 5 is eg •£ .y ?i i Si I* OQ J 3 l/S (0 . Z 3 u O • i/t C i O c « 5 ns S Z > Vermont's Green Mountains, with theirforested hills, small farms, and picturesque villages, have not always been as beautiful and as green. After the American Revolution, settlers poured into Vermont. By the mid-1800s most of Vermont's forests had been cut down, causing severe erosion and flooding. Vermonters faced their first environmental crisis. One o f t h e first t o respond t o this crisis was George Perkins Marsh (1801-1882). As a child on his family's f a r m in Woodstock, Marsh became a keen observer o f nature. A f t e r serving several terms in Congress in t h e 1840s, Marsh traveled t h e lands o f t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n as an American d i p l o m a t a n d saw firsthand h o w t h e actions o f humans had " b r o u g h t t h e earth t o a desol a t i o n almost as c o m p l e t e as t h a t of t h e m o o n . " On his last d i p l o matic mission in Italy, Marsh dist i l l e d his observations i n t o a classic book, Man and Nature (1864). His careful analysis o f t h e h u m a n i m pact o n n a t u r e a n d his e l o q u e n t plea f o r responsible land s t e w a r d ship made this b o o k o n e o f t h e f o u n d i n g texts o f t h e e n v i r o n m e n tal m o v e m e n t . View from the porch of the Mansion A portrait of George Perkins Marsh, painted by G.P.A. Healy, ca. 1820. The marriage o f Mary French a n d Laurance S. Rockefeller in 1934 b r o u g h t t o g e t h e r t w o families w i t h a strong c o m m i t m e n t t o conservat i o n . The Rockefeller f a m i l y had generously created or enhanced over 20 n a t i o n a l parks, a n d Laurance S. Rockefeller i n h e r i t e d his family's love for t h e land. As a trusted advisor t o five American presidents he helped t o make conservation and o u t d o o r recreation an essential part o f t h e n a t i o n a l a g e n d a . Tog e t h e r Laurance and Mary made t h e g i f t t h a t established MarshBillings-Rockefeller National Historical Park as Vermont's first national park. In 1869 t h e Marsh f a m i l y f a r m was purchased by Frederick Billings (1823-1890), a V e r m o n t native w h o had made his f o r t u n e as an attorney in San Francisco d u r i n g t h e California Gold Rush. Returning t o Verm o n t he f o u n d barren hills, silted rivers, and a devastated countryside. Billings set o u t t o build a f a r m t h a t w o u l d serve f u t u r e generations as a m o d e l of wise stewardship. He imported purebred Jersey cows, and he d e v e l o p e d o n e o f t h e nation's first programs o f scientific forest m a n a g e m e n t , so t h a t , in Billings's words, " m a n y a barren hillside w i l l once more g l o w w i t h t h e glorious a u t u m n foliage, a n d t h e q u i e t village w i l l see itself back in its o l d life a n d p o w e r . " A f t e r his d e a t h in —John Elder, Professor of English and Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, from remarks at the park's opening ceremony. Julia Billings and her daughters continued to pursue Billings's far-sighted approach to farming and forestry well into the 20th century. Pictured from left: Elizabeth Billings, Mary Mon tagu Billings French, (mother of Mary French Rockefeller), Julia Parmly Billings, and Laura Billings Lee, circa 1896. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is t h e only national park t o tell t h e story of conservation history and t h e evolving nature o f land stewardship in America. The park operates in partnership w i t h t h e Woodstock Foundation, Inc., and the adjacent Billings Farm & Museum. The park interprets t h e historic home of the Marsh, Billings, and Rockefeller families, their conservation w o r k and stewardship of t h e forest landscape, and t h e emergence o f an American conservation ethic. The 550-acre woodlands continue t o be managed for protection o f natural resources, education, recreation, sustainable forestry, historic character, and scenic beauty. "We must conceive of stewardship not simply as one individual's practice, but rather as the mutual and intimate relationship extending across generations, between a human community and its place on earth." —John Elder, Inheriting Mount Tom, 1997 The Pogue on a brilliant autumn day. The Conservation Study Institute The National Park Service established t h e Conservation Study Institute here in 1998 t o foster collaborative conservation as it applies t o o u r nation's natural a n d cultural herit a g e . The institute is a f o r u m f o r professionals t o share best practices, cultivate leadership, and maintain a dialogue on present and f u t u r e trends. T h r o u g h a w i d e variety o f programs, participants stay current w i t h t h e evolving field o f conservat i o n , enhance partnerships, develop innovative methods o f c o m m u n i t y e n g a g e m e n t a n d place-based e d u cation, a n d plan strategies f o r t h e 21st century. "Passing the Torch,"a Tiffany window in the Mansion, symbolizes an intergenerational commitment t o conservation. Frederick Billings, 1885. Furniture built by Vermont furniture Workshop at the Conservation Study makers from Billings Forest hardwoods Institute. The Institute furthers the park's shows how value is added to local prod- educational and outreach initiatives on ucts through an association with place its primary message of conservation and regional craftsmanship, promoting stewardship. conservation and sustainability. | Planning Your Visit Tour the Mansion and Gardens The Mansion was built in 1805-07 for Charles Marsh, Sr., the father of George Perkins Marsh. For two generations the heirs of Billings have kept the 1800s Queen Anne style architecture, furnishings, and gardens intact while adding 20thcentury renovations that give the Mansion and grounds their present character and appearance. The Mansion contains an extensive art collection with American landscape paintings by renowned artists like Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt, John Frederick Kensett, and Asher B. Durand. The collection illustrates the influence of 19th-century landscape painting, photography, and writing on the environmental movement. The Marsh-Btlhngs-Rocketeller Mansion. Getting Here Marsh-BillingsRockefeller National Historical Park is off Vt.12 in Woodstock. Take I-89 to exit 1 (U.S. 4). From exit 1, take U.S. 4 west (13 miles) through Quechee and Taftsville to Woodstock. From U.S. 4 in downtown Woodstock, bear right onto Vt.12 north. Cross the iron bridge over the Ottauquechee River, bear right onto River Road, and take the first right into the parking area at the Billings Farm & Museum. 0) o m M 3 < Your Visit Begin at the Visitor Center at the Billings Farm & Museum, next to the parking area. National Park staff are available to answer questions and help plan your visit. Here you can view the award-winning film "A Place in the Land." From the Billings Farm & Museum you can cross Vt.12 to continue your visit at the National Park Carriage Barn Visitor Center. Tours The Mansion and gardens may be visited by guided tours led by park staff. Tours are offered Memorial Day weekend through October 31. Make advance reservations by calling 802-457-3368 ext. 22. You can also make reservations in person at either the Visitor Center at the Billings Farm & Museum or at the National Park Carriage Barn Visitor Center. Tours are lim- ited in size. Large groups need to call ahead for special arrangements. A tour fee is charged. Accessibility Limited parking for visitors with disabilities is available near the Mansion and the National Park Carriage Barn Visitor Center. Parking passes and directions are available from the National Park staff at either visitor center. Both visitor centers and the Mansion are wheelchair accessible. Safety Be alert for traffic when crossing the roads and in parking areas. Trails may have uneven footing. Swimming, wading, and fishing are not allowed in The Pogue. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Consult park staff for current park conditions. More Information Marsh-BillingsRockefeller National Historical Park is one of over 390 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about National Park Service programs in America's communities, visit www.nps.gov. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park 54 Elm Street Woodstock, VT 05091 802-457-3368 www.nps.gov/mabi The National Park Carriage Barn Visitor Center. "Cathedral Rock, Yosemite," by Albert Bierstadt, 1870, on view in the Mansion. Things to Do Walk the Forest Trails and Carriage Roads Some 20 miles of carriage roads and trails crisscross Mount Tom. Visit The Pogue, a pond tucked in the cleft of the mountain, and enjoy magnificent views of Woodstock and the surrounding hills from the top of Mount Tom. The system of carriage roads can be approached from the park entrance on Vt.12 or from the parking lot on Prosper Road. Detailed trail maps are available at the visitor center. No bicycles or motorized vehicles are allowed. In winter, the Woodstock Ski Touring Center grooms the carriage roads for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Contact the Ski Touring Center in Woodstock, or call 802-457-6674 for trail passes and for more information. Visit the National Park Carriage Barn Visitor Center Built in 1895 and rehabilitated in 1999, the Carriage Barn serves as the National Park Service Visitor Center. Featured is the exhibit "Celebrating Stewardship—People Taking Care of Places." The building also has offices for park staff, the Conservation Study Institute, and the New Hampshire and Vermont office of the NPS Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program. The National Park Carriage Barn Visitor Center is open daily Memorial Day weekend through October 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the Billings Farm & Museum The Billings Farm & Museum is a working dairy farm and a museum of agricultural and rural life operated as a private non-profit educational institution by the Woodstock Foundation, Inc. The park and the museum work in partnership to carry on the Billings tradition of land stewardship. For information about special activities and programs at the museum call 802-457-2355. Hiking the carriage roads on Mount Tom. •GPO: 2009—349-224/80254 Reprint 2007 Printed on recycled paper