Encompassing 13 acres, this parcel is a part of what was once the Allen ‘A’ Resort on Route 28 in Wolfeboro. Linda Baldwin’s Single Rose LLC acquired this property in 1999 as part of a 45.4-acre purchase. Linda bought the property to prevent the development of a 400+ unit RV park on this environmentally sensitive land. The Wentworth Watershed Association (then known as the Lake Wentworth Foundation) acquired the land after Linda’s death in 2002.
Importance of the Preserve
Both Harvey and Hersey (Tyler) Brooks run through this property, and much of its acreage is a wetland. Both the former Allen ‘A’ theater building and the Allen A’s tennis courts sit on the original parcel. In 2005, the Association sold the portion containing these structures to the New Hampshire Boat Museum. The Association retained a conservation easement on the wetland portions of museum land. The piece of the original parcel that was retained has frontage on Route 28, Moose Point Road, Albee Beach Road, and the TRAC Cotton Valley Trail.
The Allen A property is very important ecologically. It is a funny shaped piece with one part southwest of the Allen A and the other northeast of the Allen A (with a long skinny piece along the railroad track). One section contains Hooper Brook and the other Tyler Brook. Neither of these streams are major tributaries to the lake but protecting these streams and their associated wetlands prevents nutrients from entering the lake. Each section also has large enough areas to allow construction on them and increased activity near these streams would harm their natural ability to help the watershed. When there are “rain events”, water flows into these wetlands and the nutrients are then adsorbed onto soil particles and absorbed by the plant materials. This is a good thing. Neither section is great for recreation because they either have thick woods or are seasonally wet. They do, however, protect the views from the Cotton Valley rail trail and this makes for a more pleasant experience when enjoying that valuable resource.
Photos of the Allen “A” Preserve
The Association intends to retain this environmentally critical property and maintain it in its natural, undeveloped state.
