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Proctor Estate [10]
Detail Map (40k)
Area Map (60k)
Size: 117 acres
Location: Heading south, off Route 1A (County Road) on the left hand side (east)just after the entrance to Appleton Farms.
Parking: Along driveway. Parking lot for recreational visitors to be constructed during Summer, 1999.
Permitted: Hiking, running, horseback riding and mountain biking when the trails are dry, and cross-country skiing in season.
Rules: Dogs are welcome but must be leashed. Smoking is not permitted on the property.
Hours: Dawn to dusk.
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History
Richard Jacobs settled on this property, also referred to as “Don Bosco”, in 1638. When purchased in 1899 by John H. Proctor, the estate consisted of approximately 195 acres.
The mansion and various outbuildings were built in 1908 and remained the home of the Proctor family until the 1940's. The mansion was home to a small number of brothers and priests and was frequently used for retreats and meetings. There were well-kept playing fields utilized by local ball-teams and various other groups. Until 1986, there was a children's summer camp on the property.
Beginning in 1983, the Salesians sold parcels of land in Hamilton and Ipswich for building lots. Between 1989 and 1999, a Montessori school was located on the property.
In January,1999, the property was purchased by New England Biolabs, Inc., a biotech research and development company that makes products for research scientists. Biolabs has agreed that the trails will remain open to the public. Trail users should be aware that there may be temporary changes for parking, trailheads etc. as the Biolab's project proceeds.
Trails
Essentially there is one trail that circles the rear of the property, briefly entering a stretch of Hamilton Wenham Conservation land and loosely paralleling Saginaw Road and Fellows Road.
The trail is easy to follow. The detail map indicates several entrances or exits: about halfway up the main access road take a right across the fields to the woods; or enter from Saginaw Road on the trail marked with the Hamilton Wenham Conservation Land sign; or enter from Fellows Road just west of Upland Road; or enter opposite #32 Fellows Road on a trail marked by an ECTA sign; or enter off the main driveway road, just after the road crosses the Miles River, where a trail leads off to the left and skirts the fields.
In all, the trails equal approximately two miles.
