Book Description

In the late-nineteenth century, Ehrick Rossiter (1854-1941) recognized the inherent beauty of the Shepaug River Valley and bought up riverfront land, including a renowned cliff known as Steep Rock. He wound carriage roads through the valley's fields and forests to link scenic overlooks, river crossings, and riverside picnic spots, creating a rustic park.After enjoying his property for almost forty years, he founded a land trust in 1925 to preserve the waterside slopes in perpetuity for the recreational use and enjoyment of future generations. Recognized today as high conservation value land, Rossiter's original 378-acre woodland retreat has become the core of Steep Rock Association, now a 5,200-acre land trust in Washington, Connecticut approaching its one hundredth anniversary.The History of Steep Rock Association: The Jewel in the Crown focuses on the community members who took up Rossiter's cause as the land trust grew to encompass three publicly-accessible nature preserves - the Steep Rock, Hidden Valley, and Macricostas Preserves. Based on both archival material and recent conservation reports, the book is illustrated with over 150 photographs and maps. It features twenty-five "then and now" comparisons with hundred year old photographs from the town of Washington's Gunn Historical Museum, bringing the history of one of the most picturesque and conservation worthy riverine landscapes of Litchfield County to life.