Kent County's Toad Hall Becomes 350th Protected Property
Kent County, MD - A Kent County property filled with woods, wetlands, and art will stay that way for good. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) announced on September 22 that it has placed a conservation easement on land owned by Leslie and Vincent M. Raimond.
This is the 350th conservation easement the group has completed. The agreement means the 62-acre property is now protected permanently.
The land is home to historic Toad Hall and the Prince Raimond Arts Center. "Our 350th easement functions as a critical keystone in a contiguous block of more than 1,200 protected acres in Kent County," said ESLC President and CEO Steve Kline.
The story of this land goes back more than 70 years. In 1954, Vincent M. Raimond, a structural engineer, moved his young family from the Bronx to Chestertown.
His family said "the Eastern Shore's beauty and easy pace were a welcome change." Soon after arriving, the Raimonds bought the 62-acre Sandy Hill Farm.
At the time, it was a truck farm that grew produce for local markets. The soil was worn out, so the family chose not to keep farming it.
Instead, they planted trees, reshaped the meadows, and worked with neighbors to build a woodland park. Outdoor sculptures soon started to appear along the paths.
The family also joined several 18th century farmhouses into one large manor house. They named it Toad Hall, after Mr. Toad's home in Kenneth Grahame's 1908 book "The Wind in the Willows."
"Vincent improved the land by letting it regenerate itself: the fields, waters, and woods were essentially left alone to heal naturally, welcoming many birds, fish, and creatures of all sorts," said his wife, Leslie. "Trails and meadows were cleared to facilitate walks and enjoyment of the place. We associated this story-book beauty with a favorite book from childhood, The Wind in the Willows."
Over the years, the property has hosted jazz festivals, poetry readings, weddings, reunions, fundraisers, and memorials. It has also welcomed artists-in-residence, raku ceramic workshops, hunting parties, and other community events.
A blacksmithing forge, tennis court, reflecting pool, and smoke house were added little by little. The art collection includes several pieces by family members, including a large copper crab claw sculpture called "Feel the Pinch."
Vincent first put forward plans to protect the land in the 1990s. The Raimond family says they are happy to finally see those plans completed.
"Vincent's emphasis on innovation and creativity has contributed to the present-day plans to continue supporting projects that celebrate arts, history, and the environment," the Raimond family said.
Most of the property is forest. The woods give wildlife a home along the water, especially birds that live deep in the forest, and they help keep Still Pond Creek clean.
Forested buffer strips 100 feet wide protect flooded beaver habitat, 2,200 feet of shoreline, a three-acre pond, and seven acres of wetlands. These areas support many plants and animals and help hold stormwater and recycle nutrients.
More than 11 acres are covered in grassland and shrubland. That open space is home to ground-nesting birds, turtles, rabbits, butterflies, pollinators, and of course, toads.
"The beavers have resurged creating more clear water which has extended the home for wood ducks and all the other creatures who are in need. This is a place for basking in the beauty and health of nature that has been preserved," the Raimond family said.
ESLC was founded in 1990. The group works to protect the rural land and natural resources of Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Photo Credit: ESLC
