photo by Fred J. Field

Sunday, December 16, 2001

Copyright © 2001 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

GEORGETOWN &emdash; Josephine Oliver Newman loved the outdoors, especially the ferns,trees and flowers that grew near her family's farm. So when she died in 1968 at the age of 90, her will guaranteed that future generations of Mainers would be able to walk on the land that she had grown so fond of. Newman bequeathed 119 acres of land on Georgetown Island to the Maine Audubon Society. Today, the property is known as the Josephine Newman Sanctuary.

Georgetown residents are well acquainted with the Route 127 property, which is bounded by the west and east branches of Robinhood Cove, a tidal cove. An effort is already underway to connect the town's elementary school with the sanctuary via a footpath and footbridge over the West Branch.

Though well-known to locals, the Josephine Newman Sanctuary is not all that easy for visitors to find. Still, it's well worth the trip to Georgetown.Visitors can walk on bluffs that rise 120 feet above the cove, inspect outcropping of bedrock that have been twisted by the passage of time,or stand on a cliff and watch reversing falls that are caused by tidal waters tumbling over ledges. Nearly all of the property is covered with trees. The sanctuary features 2.5 miles of hiking trails that pass through stands of red and white pine, spruce fir thickets, and hemlock ravines. Stone walls criss-cross the property.

"It gets used pretty regularly by the locals and by people who have discovered it. But, yes, it is somewhat underutilized," says Bob Savage, Maine Audubon's Director of Property Management. One deterrent to visiting the sanctuary - at least during spring and summer - is mosquitoes.They truly have a bountiful population of mosquitoes in Georgetown," Savage warns. Savage said the property, which is off Route 127, was given to the Maine Audubon Society on Feb. 6, 1968 by Newman.

Newman was born in Boston in 1878, the daughter of Georgetown native Sewall Parker Oliver. Her father bought a farm on land that is now part of the sanctuary. The farm was demolished several years ago and only the cellar's foundation remains. Billie Todd, the town's historian, said her husband, Warren, was distantly related to Newman. They affectionately called Newman "Aunt Jo." Todd still lives in a farmhouse

across from the entrance to the sanctuary. She encourages visitors who want maps of the sanctuary's hiking trails to knock on her door. Todd said that when she was younger, she would walk through the sanctuary's woods with Newman. She said Newman taught her the different varieties of moss and flowers that grew there.

An effort by Georgetown's Conservation Commission to build a connecting footpath and footbridge has just gotten under way. The commission received $11,000 in state and federal grants for the project. For now, the best way to reach the sanctuary is by an access road that begins next to the town library on Route 127. A blue sign marks the sanctuary's entrance, which is open year-round from dawn to dusk.Pets, hunting and off road vehicles are not permitted.At the top of the access road is space enough to park about six cars. Visitors can choose from the self-guided Geology Trail, which is the shortest trail; the Rocky End trail; and the Horseshoe Trail.The Geology Trail passes through an old growth forest, the reversing falls, and several unusually shaped outcropping of bedrock before it climbs up a steep bluff. From there, the trail drops down into the tidal cove giving hikers the opportunity to sit on the shoreline. The trail heads back toward the parking lot, ending a leisurely 45-minute hike.

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 725-8795 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

Click here for the original article and more pictures of the Sanctuary

More about Georgetown

Back to the Georgetown School Home Page

Page last updated 22October, 2003
Georgetown Central School is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.