For more than a century, Mount Anthony has provided a scenic background for the Bennington Battle Monument. Now, one of Vermont’s most persevering local conservation organizations, the Mount Anthony Preservation Society (MAPS), is partnering with Southern Vermont College (SVC) and neighboring, community-oriented landowners to ensure that the mountain will always be a place for the public, not to simply gaze upon, but to use and enjoy.
In the early 1980s a developer purchased Mount Anthony and cut it into dozens of parcels.To counteract this fragmentation, MAPS began an effort to buy the parcels back and keep the mountain together. In 2005 MAPS pledged to conserve its land with VLT in order to leverage Freeman Foundation funding for the protection of 235 acres of woods and trails on the side of the mountain owned by Southern Vermont College. In a Vermont-style collaboration between preservationists and conservationists, the Preservation Trust of Vermont and VLT obtained easements on both the Everett Mansion façade, a stunning example of the eclectic Beaux-Arts style of architecture, and the mountainous forestland above the college.This arrangement allowed SVC to renovate the mansion roof and provide public access to the trails.
The future of this public access was uncertain, however, until recently when VLT assisted with the conservation of a second, 31-acre parcel that guarantees access from a parking lot and trailhead at the Bennington Center for the Arts. From this new access point, hikers can walk along miles of mountain trails or to SVC’s historic Everett Mansion. A portion of this land contains a highly scenic field at the entrance to Old Bennington, which could be used for community events. “The neighbors might not want a Pink Floyd concert here, but it could be a great place for festivals or battle re-enactments,” said Matthew Patterson, President of MAPS.
The support of neighbors is important to the success of any conservation project, and Mount Anthony was no exception. Abutting landowner Peter Geannelis donated a trail easement to connect the parking area to the trailhead and adjoining trails—a critical link in the system. And another Bennington native, Donny Wassick, is leading the volunteer effort to maintain the trails. Already, his work has been appreciated by a growing number of joggers and dog-walkers.
It is fitting that many people have cooperated in this conservation effort so that Mount Anthony may forever bring together the people of Bennington.
