A History of Joshua's Trust

Sam Dodd, David Chapin (seated), Atty. Steve Bacon, Hill Bullard (past-president), preserving Coney Rock.

In 1676 Joshua, third son of Uncas and Sachem of the Mohegans, bequeathed his hunting grounds in the heart of eastern Connecticut to Capt. John Mason and fifteen men of Norwich. This historic tract comprised the present towns of Windham, Mansfield, Chaplin, Scotland, and part of Hampton.

After three hundred years as a land of forest, farms, and villages, this ancient tract has been caught up in the pervasive urbanization of our time. There are now more than 75,000 people living in the Windham region. However, the countryside need not be destroyed by development pressure. Instead, development can be guided and directed so that open space is preserved by conservation easements and/or restrictions even as the needs of people are met. Our land trust is one vehicle by which this dual goal can be furthered.

Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust also known as 'Joshua's Trust', was organized and incorporated in 1966. It had grown out of the joint initiative of the Mansfield Historical Society and the Mansfield Conservation Commission. Interested persons from the surrounding area joined the effort. The Trust's initial financial assets totaled $1,400 obtained from 56 founding contributors. The Trust acquired its first property, Bradley-Buchanan Woods, in 1970. Six more properties were secured during the 70s including the historic Gurleyville Gristmill and miller's cottage, home of Wilbur Cross, who became one of Connecticut's Governors. Click here for a chronological list of Joshua's Trust preserves.

The first years were financially precarious, and at one point the Trust had to sell Echo Woods to the Department of Environmental Protection when it became impossible to make the mortgage payments. But the Trust recovered and has gone on to prosper.

The Trust acquired it's first conservation easement in 1988 on 87 acres in Ashford. Since the founding of Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust in 1966, the Trust has extended its interest to towns outside of the original Joshua's Tract, so that all ten towns of the Windham Region are included, and one, Tolland, in Tolland county.

The pace of acquisitions accelerated greatly during the 1980s when 18 tracts were added to the Trust's holdings, and this acceleration continued through the 90s. The Trust has also been actively working with landowners in establishing conservation restrictions (easements).

In 1992 the Trust obtained from the Town of Mansfield a 30-year lease on the Eagleville Schoolhouse and renovated it for use as an office and headquarters.

As of January 1st, 2011, Joshua's Trust protects over 4,000 acres of conservation lands in Connecticut, found in the towns of Andover, Ashford, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, Mansfield, Lebanon, Scotland, Storrs, Tolland, Willington, Windham and Woodstock. Trust membership continues to grow.

The Trust's logo is the mark made by the original Joshua. It is commonly referred to as "the critter".

More History:
Uncas, Joshua and a history of Hebron, from the Hebron Historical Society
Mansfield's Eagleville Schoolhouse .

office hours

Gristmill Lithograph