Pictured above: William Warren Vaughan (right) and work crew on the Corniche trail c. 1911
At the turn of the 20th century brothers William and Benjamin Vaughan dreamed of restoring the industry-ravaged lost family land adjacent to their 1794 ancestral home. Between 1890 and 1930, they worked tirelessly to re-purchase the land, deconstruct the mills, and, utilizing local labor, create a nature preserve featuring 3-miles of carriage roads, footpaths and stone-arch bridges, now known as Vaughan Woods. “Nature has done its part in clothing the banks again with wood,” William wrote in 1930, “and you will, in time, I hope, see the ravine restored much to its original beauty.” Undoubtedly, he would be happy with the stream and woods of today.
For over 100 years the Vaughan family maintained the trails and bridges and allowed public access. In 1991, prior to the Homestead’s incorporation as a nonprofit, William’s granddaughter, Diana Vaughan Gibson and her husband George, donated a conservation easement on Vaughan Woods to The Kennebec Land Trust, ensuring its protection for future generations. Today, the non-profit Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead manages the Woods for public use and allows access from dawn to dusk for recreational activities such as trail walking, nature study, picnicking, snow shoeing and cross-country skiing.