The Sanctuary was once part of a 160 acre farm, which 1st appears in the records (Forbes Library) of 1799, owned by a Lyman, who built the farmhouse which still stands—though renovated many times. One of the names appearing in the deed in the 19th century was that of Moses Hannum, who leased a quarter-acre from the owners, probably to expand the Hannum Mill. The mill produced axes and was on Pond Brook where Route 66 meets Searle Road today. In 1948, Gerald Hayes bought the farm from a family named Giroux.
One year Farmer Hayes’ livestock were in the farm’s meadows for the summer, but they escaped and traveled the ski trails to the bottom of the town where they were found and returned.
In 1948 est. Black Panther Ski Trails was created in what is now the Knightville Dam area.
The Sanctuary is managed by our friends at Hilltown Land Trust
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