On Sept. 26, Scarborough Land Trust will host a Property Dedication & Community Celebration at the Benjamin Farm property at Pleasant Hill, which will include a special tribute to Mr. Benjamin.

At the property closing, the family requested a plaque at the property to permanently honor Mr. Benjamin. We were happy to fulfill this request. There was no agreement to name the property (that was purchased, not donated), nor did the family request it.

At the dedication, we plan to announce the name we chose for this beautiful property: Pleasant Hill Preserve. I want to share the reasons for our decision:

• SLT conserves property forever. Months after closing, we chose a name we felt would be appropriate to the location and history of the property, forever.

• We have chosen other property names that are tied to place: the Libby River Farm (formerly Larrabee Farm), and Broadturn Farm (formerly Meserve Farm). This new, 135-acre SLT property is one of the last, large open spaces in Pleasant Hill.

• Several farm families have been associated with this Pleasant Hill property for over 180 years: the Robinsons, Johnsons, Coulthards, and Benjamins.

• This conservation project has been all about community. This name celebrates and builds upon that sense of community at Pleasant Hill, where we are creating a Neighborhood Stewardship Group to help care for the property.

SLT has always worked in good faith with willing landowners. We look forward to celebrating Mr. Benjamin’s legacy with the entire community when we unveil a permanent memorial to him on Sept. 26.

Paul Austin, president
Scarborough Land Trust