Questing (New Marlborough, Massachusetts)

Questing is a 438-acre (177 ha) open space preserve and colonial era historic site located in New Marlborough, Massachusetts within The Berkshires. The property, acquired in 1996 by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations, is named for a mythical beast from Arthurian Mythology called the Questing Beast.

Questing
Questing
Map showing the location of Questing
Map showing the location of Questing
Location within Massachusetts
LocationMassachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°07′19″N 73°15′06″W / 42.1219°N 73.2518°W / 42.1219; -73.2518
Area438 sq mi (1,130 km2)
Established1996
OperatorThe Trustees of Reservations
WebsiteQuesting

The reservation includes hiking trails, open meadows and hay fields, vernal pools, and streams.[1] It is open to hiking, picnicking, cross country skiing, and hunting (in season). A trailhead is located on New Marlborough Hill Road in New Marlborough. Bikes, snowmobiles and motorized vehicles are prohibited.

History

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Questing Reservation is on a hill where the first fort was built in the original New Marlborough settlement, and where the first non-Native American children were born, the Brookins twins.[2] The precise location of this site is no longer known. Later this site was also the location of the settlement of the Leffingwell family, abandoned in the Great Depression. The only remains of the Leffingwell farmstead are cellar holes and stone walls.

The property was acquired in 1992 and 1996 through land gifts by Robert A. Lehman and Richard W. Sellew.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Questing". The Trustees of Reservations. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  2. ^ Burk, John S. (2021). Massachusetts trail guide : AMC's comprehensive guide to hiking trails in Massachusetts, from the Berkshires to Cape Cod (11th ed.). Boston, Massachusetts. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-62842-130-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ "Questing History". The Trustees of Reservations. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
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