Bartholomew's Cobble is a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

, open space preserve, agricultural preserve, and bio-reserve located in southwest

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

in the village of Ashley Falls abutting

Canaan, Connecticut Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,080 at the 2020 census, down from 1,234 at the 2010 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal settlement, Falls V ...

. The preserve contains more than 800 plant species, including

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

's greatest diversity of

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

s and the greatest overall biodiversity in

Berkshire County, Massachusetts Berkshire County (pronounced ) is a county on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded in ...

; it also contains Massachusetts' highest populations of ground nesting

bobolink The bobolink (''Dolichonyx oryzivorus'') is a small New World blackbird and the only member of the genus ''Dolichonyx''. An old name for this species is the "rice bird", from its tendency to feed on cultivated grains during winter and migration. ...

s.NPS NNL Summary
/ref>''Bartholomew's Cobble'' Brochure, 2002 edition. The Trustees of Reservations. It was declared a

in October 1971. The preserve includes two rocky knolls for which the property is named (the Cobbles), as well as floodplain along the Konkapot and

Housatonic River The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...

s, working hayfields and pastures, meadows, and Hurlburt's Hill, an open hilltop with a panoramic view of

The Berkshires The Berkshires () are a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and northwest Connecticut. The term "Berkshires" is normally used by locals in reference to the portion of the Vermont-based Green Mountains that ex ...

, the

Taconic Mountains The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range () are a range of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western Vermont. ...

, and the Housatonic River Valley. The property has been owned and managed by the non-profit conservation organization

The Trustees of Reservations The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest land conservation nonprofit orga ...

since 1946. Hiking trails and an interpretive center and museum are located on the preserve. Rangers and staff lead guided canoe trips on the Housatonic River in season.Bartholomew's Cobble website
Retrieved June 30, 2021.

History

''Cobble'' is derived from the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

word ''kobel'' or ''koble'', usually applied to small, rocky, rounded and exposed hill. The property was originally occupied by the

Mahican tribe The Mohican ( or , alternate spelling: Mahican) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, who ...

and subsequently settled by Colonel John Ashley, a New England colonial revolutionary for whom Ashely Falls is named. Ashley built a house near the Cobbles—the

Colonel John Ashley House The Colonel John Ashley House is a historic house museum at 117 Cooper Hill Road in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Built in 1735 by a prominent local leader, it is one of the oldest houses in southern Berkshire County. The museum is owned and oper ...

—now a historic site also managed by The Trustees of Reservations. The name comes from a series of Bartholomews that owned the property after Colonel Ashley. In 1838 Wyllis Bartholomew purchased the Colonel John Ashley house and five and one quarter acres from the Ashley family; it is said he used it for farm laborer housing. He owned it until his death in 1846 when Wyllis' son Hiram inherited it. In 1852, Hiram sold it to his son George, who farmed it for many years. It didn't become known as Bartholomew's Cobble until George owned it." The property was farmland and pasture before it came into the hands of The Trustees of the Reservations in 1946. Additional acreage was acquired through more than ten purchases and donations from 1963 to 2000.

Biodiversity

Several factors contribute to the biodiversity of Bartholomew's Cobble. First, the region is spacially and climatically located such that it contains a number of species that reach the northern or southern limit of their range in North America. Second, the property is located at the boundary of two distinct state bioregions: the marble valley lowlands of

geology and the Taconic uplands. Third, the Cobbles, twin rocky knolls abutting the Housatonic River, are composed of

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...

, an

acid In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

ic rock, and

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

, an

alkali In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a ...

ne (

calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...

) rock. This produces high variation in soil chemistry, which in turn supports species of ferns and other plants that do not normally grow in close proximity to one another. Fern species include the

walking fern Walking fern may refer to two species of fern in the genus ''Asplenium'' which are occasionally placed in a separate genus ''Camptosorus''. The name "walking fern" derives from the fact that new plantlets grow wherever the arching leaves of the ...

maidenhair spleenwort ''Asplenium trichomanes'', the maidenhair spleenwort, is a small fern in the spleenwort genus ''Asplenium''. It is a widespread and common species, occurring almost worldwide in a variety of rocky habitats. It is a variable fern with several subs ...

, mountain spleenwort,

maidenhair fern ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern, is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place it in its own family, Adiantaceae. The genus name comes from Greek, meaning "un ...

, bulblet fern, marginal woodfern,

polypody ''Polypodium'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Polypodioideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). The genus is widely distributed throughout the world, with the highest s ...

ostrich fern ''Matteuccia'' is a genus of ferns with one species: ''Matteuccia struthiopteris'' (common names ostrich fern, fiddlehead fern, or shuttlecock fern). The species epithet ''struthiopteris'' comes from Ancient Greek words () "ostrich" and () "fer ...

, and evergreen woodfern. Flowering plant species include red columbine,

herb Robert ''Geranium robertianum'', commonly known as herb-Robert, or (in North America) Roberts geranium, is a common species of cranesbill native to Europe and parts of Asia, and North Africa. The plant has many vernacular names, including red robin, de ...

, northern prickly ash,

bloodroot ''Sanguinaria canadensis'', bloodroot, is a Perennial plant, perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America. It is the monotypic genus, only species in the genus ''Sanguinaria'', included in the poppy family Papaveraceae, ...

spring beauty ''Claytonia'' (spring beauty) is a genus of flowering plants native to Asia, North America, and Central America. The vitamin-rich leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and the tubers can be prepared like potatoes. Description The plants are somew ...

, bergamot,

mayapple ''Podophyllum'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native from Afghanistan to China, and from southeast Canada to the central and eastern United States. The genus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Taxonomy Th ...

, and round-lobed hepatica.''Ledges Interpretive Trail Guide: Bartholomew's Cobble--A National Natural Landmark.'' (2002) The Trustees of Reservations. West of the Cobbles, the landscape changes to open managed hay fields dotted with

eastern red cedar ''Juniperus virginiana'', also known as red cedar, eastern red cedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, red juniper, and other local names, is a species of juniper native to eastern North America from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico a ...

and then to upland

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s of

red oak The genus Oak, ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many List of the largest genera of flowering plants, large genera, is Taxonomic rank#Ranks in botany, divided into subgenus, subgen ...

eastern hemlock ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of ...

yellow birch ''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the pa ...

shagbark hickory ''Carya ovata'', the shagbark hickory, is a common hickory in the Eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large, deciduous tree, growing well over tall, and can live more than 350 years. The tallest measured shagbark, located in Sa ...

sugar maple ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prima ...

, and

black birch Black birch is a common name for several trees, and may refer to: * Asian black birch, the English name for ''Betula dahurica'', tree species native to eastern Asia * Black birch, a common name for ''Betula lenta'', tree species native to eastern ...

. Rare upland species include the great blue lobelia. Hay fields are managed to preserve habitat for ground nesting

s. Along the Housatonic and

Konkapot River The Konkapot River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in southwestern Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. It is a tributary of the Housatonic Ri ...

floodplain are located a number of

oxbow lake An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...

s, wetlands, open pastures, and

riverine A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

forests. Species include the

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos ...

, bobcat,

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...

New England cottontail The New England cottontail (''Sylvilagus transitionalis''), also called the gray rabbit, brush rabbit, wood hare, wood rabbit, or cooney, is a species of cottontail rabbit represented by fragmented populations in areas of New England, specificall ...

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

eastern cottonwood ''Populus deltoides'', the eastern cottonwood or necklace poplar, is a cottonwood poplar native to North America, growing throughout the eastern, central, and southwestern United States as well as the southern Canadian prairies, the southernm ...

American sycamore ''Platanus occidentalis'', also known as American sycamore, American planetree, western plane, occidental plane, buttonwood, and water beech, is a species of ''Platanus'' native to the eastern and central United States, the mountains of northeas ...

black willow ''Salix nigra'', the black willow, is a species of willow native to eastern North America, from New Brunswick and southern Ontario west to Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and Texas. Description ''Salix nigra'' is a medium-sized decid ...

, and

stinging nettle ''Urtica dioica'', often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Or ...

. Bartholomew's Cobble is an important migratory bird habitat. More than 250 species of birds have been documented on the property, including the

bank swallow The sand martin (''Riparia riparia''), also known as the bank swallow (in the Americas), collared sand martin, or common sand martin, is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the w ...

, bobolink, bald eagle,

red-tailed hawk The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members with ...

, great blue heron,

great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...

wood duck The wood duck or Carolina duck (''Aix sponsa'') is a species of perching duck found in North America. The drake wood duck is one of the most colorful North American waterfowl. Description The wood duck is a medium-sized perching duck. A typi ...

, and

pileated woodpecker The pileated woodpecker (''Dryocopus pileatus'') is a large, mostly black woodpecker native to North America. An insectivore, it inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the ...

Recreation and education

Bartholemew's Cobble, located on Weatogue Road in Ashley Falls, is open during daylight hours. In order to protect the delicate ecology of the area, no pets are allowed on the property. More than of moderately difficult hiking trails are located on the preserve, including ''The Ledges Trail'' a self-guided interpretive walk that runs over and around the Cobbles. The visitor's center and museum include displays of natural and human history, photography, art, and

taxidermic Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proce ...

displays of local animals, birds, and bird eggs. The Trustees of Reservations offers guided natural history tours led by naturalists with proceeds supporting conservation work at Bartholomew's Cobble including wildlife research,

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

control, protecting

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

, and restoring native habitats.

Gallery

File:Bartholomew Cobble Visitor Center.JPG, Visitor Center File:Bartholomew Cobble Visitor Center interior.JPG, Visitor Center Interior File:Bartholomew's Cobble (Sheffield, MA).JPG, Cobble trail File:Bartholomew's Cobble (Sheffield, MA) - detail.JPG,

Maidenhair spleenwort ''Asplenium trichomanes'', the maidenhair spleenwort, is a small fern in the spleenwort genus ''Asplenium''. It is a widespread and common species, occurring almost worldwide in a variety of rocky habitats. It is a variable fern with several subs ...

and

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

growing on Cobble ledge

References

External links

The Trustees of Reservations: Bartholomew's CobbleBartholomew's Cobble trail mapThe Trustees of ReservationsThe Colonel John Ashley House
{{authority control The Trustees of Reservations National Natural Landmarks in Massachusetts Protected areas of Berkshire County, Massachusetts Open space reserves of Massachusetts National Natural Landmarks in Connecticut Museums in Berkshire County, Massachusetts Natural history museums in Massachusetts 1946 establishments in Massachusetts Protected areas established in 1946

History

Biodiversity

Recreation and education

Gallery

See also

References

External links