New Hampshire’s Urban Forestry Center

The Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is a gift to the people of New Hampshire by John Elwyn Stone (1922-1974). His bequest to the people of the State was a dramatic one, 150 acres of land with buildings together with the net income from an estimated $1.7 million trust fund. Motivated to secure the permanent preservation of his woodlands and open space located in an urban area of New Hampshire, John Elwyn Stone willed that his land be “forever used for socio-ecological purposes.” It is an unusual opportunity for a property of this size, and within the growth bounds of a municipality, to come into public domain. The gift of John Elwyn Stone was accepted by the State of New Hampshire and established as the Urban Forestry Center in July 1976. The property is managed under the jurisdiction of the Division of Forests and Lands, New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development.

There are many facts that attest to John Elwyn Stone’s dedication to the public interest including his final, generous, and imaginative gift of his Portsmouth property to the State of New Hampshire. Over the years, John Elwyn Stone’s contributions for building renovations, historical restorations, and the gift of land and money for the construction of a new Church have benefited the people of New Hampshire. Born John Gilbert Marshall Stone, Jr., he later changed his name to John Elwyn Stone. He grew up in New York City but returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and York, Maine, to spend summers. He graduated from The Groton School and later from Yale University where he received a B.A. degree with a major in English literature. In World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps.

The property is of historical significance to the people of New Hampshire being the birthplace and early home of the distinguished New Hampshire statesman and first Governor of New Hampshire, John Langdon (1741-1819). John Elwyn Stone was a direct descendant of John Langdon. This very property remained in the ownership of the Langdon family for over 300 years since Tobias Langdon arrived from Cornwall, England, in 1650 and first settled the land at the head of Sagamore Creek in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Urban forestry is a relatively new concept for forestry in New Hampshire and in New Hampshire, urban forestry will mean people-oriented forestry. The Urban Forestry Center is being developed to make people aware that trees are a renewable resource and to educate the public on the socio-economic value of forests, trees, shrubs, and related plants. Because of its location within the City of Portsmouth, nature, and purpose, the Urban Forestry Center is ideally suited to serve as an example of an urban forest. The 150-acre forested and wetland tract will function principally as a demonstration area and its facilities will be used for teaching, education, and research in urban forestry.

The Urban Forestry Center consists of 60 acres of wetlands and 90 acres of upland forests. Major vegetational types include: wetland-march (60 acres), red pine plantation (24 acres), Colorado blue spruce and white spruce plantation (4 acres), mainly evergreen woodland (37 acres), mainly deciduous woodland (18 acres), and scrubshrubland (7 acres). The natural stands of timber, both mixed hardwoods and softwoods, are the second largest non-planted cover types of native forest species found on the property. Various species representative of differing stages of forest succession may be found in this area. The existing vegetational types, both native and planted, are well suited for the ultimate uses of this area in urban forestry.

Recent fires have reduced the area of the red pine plantation by approximately one-half of the original size. A portion of this burned area will be used to study secondary plant succession and for several mini-woodlot demonstrations.

Plans for the development of the Urban Forestry Center include the creation of an arboretum, establishment of an ecological preserve, and the development of several mini-woodlot demonstration areas. The existing buildings will be adapted for administrative, program, and historical use. Further, this urban forest resource will provide society with a variety of goods and services by: (1) meeting passive recreational needs of urban dwellers; (2) providing technical assistance and guidance on the maintenance and care of urban trees and shrubs; (3) helping municipalities, land developers, conservation commissions, and others in implementation of public urban forestry projects; (4) sponsoring education and information programs to extend public knowledge of forests and forestry; and (5) producing wood fibre and utilizing urban wood.

A view of the two barns. The meeting barn in the foreground is being adapted for program use; in the distance, the maintenance barn.

The Urban Forestry Center will encourage investigation of urban forestry problems by sponsoring and conducting conferences, lectures, continuing education programs, workshops, demonstrations, and exhibits designed to bring interested educators, researchers, publics, municipal administrators, land use planners, forestry professionals, arborists, and others together to discuss and evaluate urban forestry problems. Program activities of the Urban Forestry Center will vary and will include a broad range of urban forestry disciplines. Educational and investigative priorities relating to gaps in our knowledge of specific urban forestry problems will be established. The scope of urban forestry will be addressed with flexible programs to meet changing urban needs. Development and implementation of a program of urban forestry at the Urban Forestry Center will continue to be refined through experience.

Urban forestry is for our needs and for our children’s necessities if traditional American life values are to be maintained. Teaching those values will be one prime part of the purpose of the Urban Forestry Center. Programs of the Urban Forestry Center will emphasize the amenity values of trees and shrubs. AMENITY, that’s a good, old word for pleasantness, attractiveness, a courteous act is an amenity. Trees perform many courteous acts: they enhance beauty, reduce air pollution, deaden noise, modify extremes of temperature and humidity, protect and preserve the soil and water, make like better for wildlife, provide useful products.

It is within this framework that the Urban Forestry Center will work to protect and promote nature’s beauty and usefulness for the people of a state that isn’t so rural anymore. John Elwyn Stone’s gift of the Urban Forestry Center to the people of New Hampshire will be of benefit and enjoyment to generations to follow.

Rosemary Cottage, moved here from historic Portsmouth, overlooks the spruce plantation; in the distance, Sagamore Creek (northeast).

Looking northwest, a reminder of adjoining urbanization and U.S. Route 1.

The historic cape dates to 1840 and serves as administrative headquarters for the center.

The family cemetery dates to the early 1600’s.

• © 1979, International Society of Arboriculture. All rights reserved.