Parker River National Wildlife Refuge to Bring Down Last Camp

In the latest announcement by officials from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, the last standing summer cottage, or camp, which is within the refuge boundary, will be taken down soon.

The name of the old two-storey structure is "Goodwin Camp" or "The Anchorage" and it falls in the western tip of Stage Island, residing in an area which is popularly known among the locals as the Ipswich Bluffs.

The Refuge announced that before Parker River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1941, human activity was mostly limited to the warmer months in the southern portion of Plum Island, which is the area now occupied by the refuge.

Existing structures were removed as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service started to gradually acquire properties to build the new wildlife refuge. The land was allowed to form back to its natural state. Some of the properties were acquired as "life estates" which means that the proprietors of the properties were allowed continue using them for the rest of their lives, after which the Fish & Wildlife Service would assume full control over them.

Goodwin camp was one of such properties which were purchased by UFWS in 1944. The owner of the property Dorice Knowles Goodwin passed away in 2011, thus inviting this action.

According to Eagletribune, Bill Peterson who runs the refuge said, "It's one of the most beautiful parts of the island," said Bill Peterson, who runs the refuge. "I think visitors will really enjoy this lookout -- right now the gates are locked because of liability concerns" he added.

The Fish & Wildlife Cultural Resources office as well as the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer, both have approved the removal of the structure. An environmental review was followed, and a contractor was hired to do the deed.

The contract has been awarded to a local vendor who reuses the dismantled structures and converts them into usable furniture and furnishings, thus carrying the legacy of the refuge forward.

The future could see a new establishment of a trail which would allow visitors to the refuge to walk on the tip of the Stage Island, which is an area of natural beauty on the refuge.