Mary Anne Guitar Nature Preserve
- Ownership
- Town of Redding and the Redding Land Trust
- Acreage
- 30.7
- Entrance
- Old Mailcoach Road
- Parking
- Limited at Entrance. Plenty on Deer Hill Road nearby
- Trails
- Two Ridges Trail, 1.5 mi white
- Trail App
- Mary Anne Guitar Nature Preserve
Background: This 30-acre property rises up from the Saugatuck River along route 107, and is often referred to as the Gateway to Redding. Long targeted on the town's Open Space Plan as a Conservation Concern, it was acquired in 2016 with funds from the Redding Land Trust, Aquarion, and a grant from the State of Connecticut.
After acquisition, the preserve was named after and dedicated to Mary Anne Guitar, a founder and long time President of the Redding Land Trust, a Redding First Selectman for twelve years, and a tireless preserver of open space.
Due to the rugged terrain, this property was never ideal for agriculture use. However, both the proximity to Old Mailcoach Rd. and the presence of several stone walls indicate that at least a portion of the property was used for some agricultural purposes. In addition, there are remains of a dam and an old house foundation on the property. The foundation corresponds with the Mrs. Platt property that appears on the 1867 Beer’s Map of Redding. The theory is that the dam was part of a button making shop in the 1850s.
The 1934 Aerial Survey shows much of the land forested with portions cleared, particularly along Old Mailcoach Road and the southern portion of the property. A well-built stone wall defines the southwestern border of the property.
Key Features: The topography of the preserve generally slopes from northeast to southwest and consists of two valleys divided by three dramatic ridgelines. The ruggedness of the terrain makes it ideal for hiking. One interesting geological feature of this property is the existence of exposed quartz deposits on the northern ridge. It's mostly hardwood and hemlock forest, wtih a rocky wet depression and three unnamed brooks.
The foundation found along Old Mail Coach Road is in all likelyhood the Platt house built after 1858. It is unclear when it disappeared but it was possibly before 1880 when the census shows 75-year-old Clarissa living with her son Henry as a “boarder” and Henry is listed as a “farm hand” not possessing any real estate. ❧
