Sylvester Field Conservation Area - Hanover, MA

Explore grassland, woodland, and river habitats on this small yet diverse preserve with a rich cultural history.

Sylvester Field is a cherished part of Hanover’s landscape within the historic Four Corners neighborhood, encompassing a large grassland and a small pine grove along Third Herring Brook. With historical, scenic, and ecological value, the property has long been an agricultural and recreational resource for the community.

The 0.5-mile trail meanders around the edge of the field and takes hikers down to a view of Third Herring Brook. Mowed on a delayed schedule to support breeding bird habitat, the grassland hosts a diversity of avian life, including Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Wild Turkeys. In 2023, the trail was extended around the eastern half of the preserve and a boardwalk was installed across the large wetland in the middle of the field, granting additional views of the flora and fauna of this diverse landscape.

Access:

The trail is very flat, offering visitors a pleasant, relaxing walk. The grassland section of the trail is mowed wide. As you walk through the woodlands, watch your step over roots along the trail. The boardwalk includes ramps on either end, sparing visitors from large steps up or down. Be sure to check for ticks after your visit.

Acquired:

Through the support of the Hanover Open Space Committee, the Hanover Community Preservation Committee, and the Hanover Historical Commission, and the generosity of individual donors, in 2021. Five additional acres along the North River in Norwell were donated to Wildlands Trust in 2022 by the estate of Clayton Robinson.

History:

The field was once part of a larger parcel of land owned by William Barstow in the mid-1600s. Barstow is believed to be the first European to live in Hanover (originally a part of Scituate prior to its incorporation in 1727). Barstow was a town surveyor and owned the land between the North River and Broadway, and between Third Herring Brook and Washington Street. In 1656, he was contracted to build a bridge across the North River, maintaining it until his death in 1668. This bridge was where the Washington Street bridge, built in 1902, currently stands.

The land was conveyed to Barstow’s son-in-law Moses Simmons in 1664, upon his marriage to Patience Barstow. Deacon Joseph Stockbridge purchased the property from Moses in 1702, and it remained within the Stockbridge family until the mid-1800s, when Edmund Quincy Sylvester purchased the land.

During the 1940s, portions of the property were sold off to various buyers, excluding Sylvester Field and some surrounding land. The field remained within the Sylvester family until 2021 when, with support from the Hanover Open Space Committee and the Hanover Historical Commission, residents of Hanover unanimously approved the use of $250,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to purchase a permanent Conservation Restriction on the field. Through this partnership, along with the generous contributions of 307 individual donors, Wildlands Trust was able to purchase this highly valuable parcel of open space.