Dedication of the Adams Preserve in 2024
The Adams Preserve
A big Thank You to Charlie and Barbara Adams for the gift of The Adams Preserve to Friends of Wilson Ponds, composed of 15.85 acres of forestland with 313 feet of shorefront.
The purpose of the gift is to:
*Enhance the scenic and ecological values of the Wilson Pond area
*Provide the experience of solitude in natural surroundings
* Conserve the scenic and natural qualities of the area.
*Preserve undeveloped shorefront for enjoyment of the general public.
* Protect the ecosystem of the forests, wetlands and waters.
* Protect the water quality and fish habitat of Lower Wilson Pond, Wilson Stream, Sebec
Lake, and beyond that contain native salmon and eastern brook trout among other fish
and aquatic organisms.
Charlie found the area when Reverend Mayhew, the minister of the church the Adams family attended in Bridgewater, MA, suggested that Charlie, his father, Edward, and Charlie’s brother go hunting in the Moosehead area. They were impressed with the area and decided to purchase the property on Wilson Pond in 1951.
Over time, a cabin was built and enjoyed for many years by Charlie and Barbara. They passed the camp along to their niece, Julie Reed and her family, James, Lydia and Fiona.
Thank you very much to Leslie and Craig Watt for the donation of beautiful chairs that provide a place to sit and enjoy “the solitude of these natural surroundings .”
Charlie and Barbara- our deepest gratitude for this gift which will be
forever conserved!
Land donation creates the Adams Preserve
On December 28, 2022, Friends of Wilson Ponds gratefully accepted the gift of 15.85 acres generously donated by Charles and Barbara Adams. The property has 313 feet of shore frontage on Lower Wilson Pond and stretches northward to the Scammon Road. The land will remain in conservation forever protecting healthy species habitats, biological diversity, and the watershed. In conversations with Charlie and Barbara, we learned that the property was purchased about 1951 by Charlie’s father, Edward, from Francis Crowley for $500 with the option to buy the second lot for $300. The Adams family connection to the area began when Reverend Bob Mayhew suggested that Edward, Charlie and Charlie’s brother go hunting in the Moosehead area. Charlie talked about the building of the cabin, which will remain in the Adams family along with 2 acres. He stated that all the building material was transported from Massachusetts in a pick-up truck when the turnpike ended in Augusta. The lumber was salvaged from an old inn in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, which Charlie and his father tore down.