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For over 50 years, Janis and Perley Bailey have made their home on 65 acres of rolling fields and woodlands in Haverhill. During this time, they’ve seen much of the surrounding rural landscape lost to development. Their dream was to keep their land the way they have always known and loved it, honoring its historic use as a farm. They wanted to ensure that future generations could enjoy the unspoiled views of forests, hills, and fields that are so iconic to this part of the Merrimack River Valley.
In 2012, the Baileys decided to donate the development rights on their land to Greenbelt in the form of a conservation restriction (CR). They conserved 60 acres, including prime farmland soils and forests, a beaver pond, and streams that flow into Chadwick Pond, a reserve drinking water supply for the City. They excluded the five acres closest to the road, with their house and barns, from the CR area. This provides future landowners the flexibility to use those five acres for additional residential purposes. Woodlands can still be harvested for firewood and lumber. Open fields that were historically farmed and grazed will always remain available for agriculture. And while it wasn’t their primary motivation, the conservation values of the land – from the wildlife habitat to rich farmland soils – meant they also qualified for the Massachusetts Conservation Land Tax Credit for their donation.
I didn’t want to see it built up. . . It was under Chapter 61 and 61A. But, when somebody buys [the land] they can break that and then they can do whatever they want. This way, it’s gonna stay this way.
~The late Perley Bailey
Photo courtesy of Craig Gibson
