Barnes Tree

The 18 acre Barnes Tree Preserve Conservation Area was originally purchased at auction by Barnes Tree Service. Prior to purchase, it had been used as a boy scout camp by the Fairhaven boy scouts. The new owners continued to allow the scouts to continue to use the property, and the children enjoyed many overnight camping trips throughout the years.

Barnes Tree Service Inc. was purchased by Dan Mullens, from the late Carl S. Barnes, in 1966 and made Rochester its home. Barnes Tree began with 3 employees and has grown to employ 45 people (as of the time of this writing). The company specializes in utility line tree clearance in Southeastern Massachusetts.

RLT purchased the property from Barnes Tree Service in 2017. This mostly forested property, with wetlands leading down to the Mattapoisett River, had a “camping cabin” that had fallen into disrepair. Over the course of the Summer of 2022, volunteers put in significant work to remove the cabin and create a safe experience along with about a third of a mile of walking trails around the property.

Additionally, Rochester Land Trust is grateful for the company’s kind donations of mowing and clearing of brush on some of our properties, keeping them looking great and easily accessible to the public.

Barnes Tree Preserve is a particularly exciting property for RLT to have available to the public, as it is located in a network of protected land, including RLT’s Church’s Field. This beloved property has over a mile of trails that take visitors to the Mattapoisett River.

Privately owned Church’s Homestead is between the two RLT properties, and is held in a private trust with the intent to preserve that land as well, both for use as a museum to George Church’s historical saw mill machinery and farming equipment, and as a natural place to be used in the future.

Currently, no public trail links the two abutting properties. Please respect private property. Visitors may park in the Church’s Field parking lot and walk alongside the road to enter Barnes Tree Preserve.