There is Much To Celebrate
Local Farm Products, Volunteers & More
November 12, 2025 – A sell-out crowd filled the Hilltop Center in November to celebrate and support land preservation in Bridgewater.
The event featured highlights of our recent progress, recognition of outstanding volunteers, and an interactive program called Savor the Season, which focused on supporting local farms and locally made products throughout the holiday and winter months.
Two individuals were honored with awards that evening. Bridget McCarthy, who has served as our Administrator and Outreach Coordinator, was recognized for her excellence and dedication to the BWLT. Bridgewater resident Joe Dolen received the Volunteer of the Year Award. Joe serves as a Trail Monitor and contributes in countless other ways — as a photographer, trail blazer, event assistant, and so much more.
Click below to see the 12 highlighted and recommended “Savor The Season” locally made and grown products. At the end of the highlighted products is a resource list of where each product can be purchased.
Savor The Season
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New Farmland Acquired
September 20, 2025 – Our commitment to preserving Bridgewater’s rural character was strengthened when the BWLT, with the support of generous contributions, acquired nine acres of pastureland and hayfields along Warner Road and Christian Street. This newly protected property connects directly to our Le Vaillant Preserve, creating a 25-acre greenway just one block from the town center. The purchase was made possible through the generosity of Bridgewater residents Christine Amorossi, Lynn Brinton and Dan Cohn, and an anonymous donor, also from Bridgewater.
At the heart of the property stands a historic English bank barn, its hand-hewn beams suggesting it was built in the early to mid-1800s. The farmhouse that once accompanied the barn was relocated by mule to Rocky Hill Road in 1937. Other notable features include hand-stacked stone walls, a tributary to Clapboard Oak Brook, mature sugar maples, and black birches—many well over a century old.
The preserve will be named The Peardon Preserve, honoring the family who owned the land for more than 100 years. The property will continue to be used primarily for farming, while we will also explore opportunities to expand the public trail network linked to the Le Vaillant Preserve.
Christine Amorossi shared her personal connection to the land: “I grew up riding horses here and working in the hayfields. I saw this as an opportunity to keep the land exactly the same. Protecting our rural landscape is important to me.” Julie Stuart, Executive Director of BWLT, expressed her excitement: “We are very grateful to the donors who stepped up to help preserve this land in perpetuity. Bridgewater residents have relished the iconic red barn and the horses grazing nearby for decades. We plan to maintain it with the utmost care.” Christian Feuer, President of BWLT, emphasized its significance: “Keeping this piece of land as open space is important to the people of Bridgewater. Residents can continue to enjoy the rural views as they walk or drive by. It’s classic Bridgewater—and it’s why many people chose to live here.”
Above: Images of the new Peardon Preserve
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