North Pownal, VT
The Alan R. Strobridge Recreation Complex is located off Rte. 346 in North Pownal, VT. It comprises about 735 acres of steep forest land on the eastern flank of the Taconic Ridge, draining down to the Hoosic River. The land is traversed by two streams and contains a reservoir that once supplied North Pownal. The property includes over 2000 feet of frontage on the Hoosic River, which is dammed on the upstream end of the property. The complex is on the site of an old tannery, which was formerly a cotton mill and grist mill.
The site of Strobridge has a rich history. This part of Vermont was home to the Mahican people and traversed by other Native American groups. The area came under English control in the mid-1600s and settlers began to arrive in the Pownal area in the early to mid 1700s.
Historically, the river was the main source of power. The Hoosic was dammed early on and supported a succession of industries. A grist mill operated here in the 1700s. The early 1800s brought a booming wool industry to New England, and the dam powered a woolen mill from 1849 until 1863, when the mill burned.
In 1866, the Plunkett and Baker Company built a cotton mill that operated until 1930. This mill was the site of a famous photograph taken in 1910 of a child laborer named Addie Card by photographer Lewis Hines. Addie's picture, labeled "Anemic Little Spinner in North Pownal Cotton Mill, North Pownal, Vermont, August 1910," was a powerful symbol of the abuses of child labor. It has been featured on a commemorative stamp by the U.S. Postal Service and was also the inspiration for the novel Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop.
From 1937 until 1988 a tannery existed on this site. After it closed, the mill property became a Superfund site and was remediated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
In 2002, the property
was transferred to the Town of Pownal. Assisted by the Vermont Trust for
Public Land and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the Town purchased
the land and worked out conservation restrictions, development rights,
and a public access easement.
For more on the history of the North Pownal area, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pownal,_Vermont
River power: the dam at Strobridge in North Pownal.
Photo:
National Archive
For more about Addie
Card, see: http://www.morningsonmaplestreet.com/addiesearch1.html
and http://www.elizabethwinthrop.com/SocialEducation.pdf.
For more about the
novel Counting on Grace, see: http://www.elizabethwinthrop.com/countingongrace.html
and http://www.vermonthumanities.org/index_files/vtreads.htm.
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Several trails traverse the Strobridge property. These are mostly unmarked at present. At least one trail into the Strobridge property can be accessed from the Taconic Crest Trail in New York State. The upper and lower ends of this trail are scheduled to be marked in fall 2007.
The management plan
for this property includes several proposed trails for specific uses (hiking,
horseback, ATV, etc.) to be developed and marked in future.
At this time there is no established portage around the dam at Strobridge. The closest public open space for taking out a craft above the dam is Clayton Park, on the right just downstream of the bridge in Pownal. Land access to Clayton Park is along Lincoln Street. The park entrance is unmarked but there is a small parking area near a gate on your left. To reach Clayton Park by car, turn left off Route 346 toward the River Road bridge, but before the bridge, turn north on Lincoln Street.
Just downstream of the dam at Strobridge, near the parking lot, there is a canoe launch ramp leading from the concrete platform below the lawn. (Before you put in below the dam, read "Is the water clean?" under Frequently Asked Questions below.) From here, paddlers can proceed on the Hoosic into New York State through a gap in the Taconic Mountains, all the way to Hoosick Falls. A map of this route can be found at http://www.hoorwa.org/paddling_the_hoosic.htm
Tom Ennis, HooRWA volunteer, working on
the new canoe launch ramp, summer 2007.
Fishing
The Hoosic River and its tributaries in Vermont offer excellent opportunities for catching brown trout and brook trout. The long-term plan for Strobridge includes providing access points for anglers. Click here for the VT Public Health Dept. advisories on fish consumption.
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Other
Recreation
Existing trails on this property are also used for hunting, mountain biking,
cross-country skiing and horseback riding, as well as snowmobile and ATV
use. Some trails and areas will ultimately have restricted uses, in order
to keep the forest and watershed in good working condition and protect
habitat. Meanwhile, trail users are requested to avoid activities that
damage forest soils, or erode steep slopes and streambanks.
Events
Strobridge is the site of community events such as picnics, guided walks
and hikes, and cleanup and maintenance get-togethers. These are ordinarily
posted in the local papers as well as public buildings and business establishments.
If you would like to have an event at Strobridge, contact the Pownal Recreation
Implementation Committee via the town hall.
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The forest. Nearly all of this property is mixed hardwood forest, dominated by red oak on dry or south-facing slopes; beech, birch and maple on north-facing slopes and richer soils; and hemlock stands along the ridgetop and very steep slopes. Along the Hoosic River are typical riverbank species such as box elder, cottonwood, willow, and sycamore. Unusual plants for this region may also be spotted, such as mountain laurel, swamp azalea, and American chestnut.
Wildlife. There is abundant habitat for wildlife such as deer, moose, and bear, and for a wide variety of birds and amphibians.
The watershed. The Strobridge land runs from ridgetop down to river level, and offers a good opportunity to observe how a watershed works. On the slopes, rain and snow are caught and filtered by the thick vegetation. Much of the water percolates into the ground. This groundwater seeps gradually into the riverbed, maintaining river flow throughout the year. Major storms or snowmelts cause floods that re-shape the riverbanks and river channel as part of a natural, dynamic process.
FAQs
How do I get there?
The Strobridge Recreation Complex is located on Rte. 346, just
south of the center of North Pownal. Look for a large building near the
river (the old mill) and a parking lot with a kiosk and flagpole.
Who was Alan R. Strobridge?
The
Strobridge Recreation Complex was named in memory of Alan R. Strobridge,
(Lt. Col. U. S. Army Reserves, Retired), in recognition of his efforts
to acquire the Pownal tannery lands to benefit the local community.
Is
there a trail map available?
Though
existing trails have been mapped, there is no publicly available trail
map for the Strobridge property at this time (summer 2007). Check with
the Strobridge Recreation Implementation Committee for updates, or check
this website.
This
is an old industrial site. Do I need to worry about exposure to contaminants?
Most
of the Strobridge land is not considered contaminated, as it is wooded
hillside away from the old industrial buildings. The Environmental Protection
Agency has remediated the contaminated areas. For information on this
remediation, see:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/nar1529.htm
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r1/npl_pad.nsf/0/F1A8D3A767CCEDEE8525691F0063F6EC?OpenDocument
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/accomp/success/pownal.htm
http://www.maxymillian.com/pownal.html
Is the water clean?
The State of
Vermont classifies the river here as “Class B, Impaired.” Class
B waters are designated for contact recreation such as swimming, fishing,
and boating, but “impaired” means the water is not pollution-free.
The VT Department of Health, in a 2004 memo, stated that “exposure
to River waters and sediment adjacent to the Pownal Tannery site is not
recommended.” This area contains PCBs, metals, and other pollutants
in low concentrations. Ingesting or inhaling sediment or river water,
or prolonged contact with mud or water, should be avoided.
Should
I eat the fish?
No.
The Vermont Health Department advises against eating fish caught in the
Hoosic, because of possible contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs). For more details, see:
http://www.healthvermont.gov/enviro/fish_alert/fish_alert.aspx or
download this file.
For questions about recreational opportunities at Strobridge, contact the Pownal Recreation Implementation Committee, via the Pownal Town Offices, at 802-823-7757.
To request programs on the Strobridge site or comment on this web page, contact the Pownal Recreation Implementation Committee, or contact the Hoosic River Watershed Association (office@hoorwa.org or 413-458-2742).
Vermont Watershed Grants
Hoosic River Watershed
Association
