HAWK HILL

The first peoples ever to wonder and live in the forest of Hawk Hill were the Abenaki. They spent time in Hawk Hill because of it’s close proximity to the 0tter Creek, a major food source and travel way.

The storied Old Brandon is located in Hawk Hill. It was settled by the first European permanent residents in the early to mid 1700s.

The Old Brandon Road enters the property as a town road on the northwestern side and continues through the property in trail form. This trail is all that remains of the town's original “mainstreet”.

Along this trail are the protected remains of approximately six homesites, these were the homes of the original 18th century settlers. Just at the edge of the property lies the June Cemetery, named for the June family, the original settlers of the property.

These people homesteaded using simple agricultural methods as a means of survival. Some family members are buried here in Hawk Hill, with headstones dating to the mid 1700’s. Be on the lookout for stone walls from sheep farms, stone lined wells, and foundations, Uneven age forests are telltale signs of the timber harvests that have taken place on Hawk Hill. The remnants of an old sugar house can he found on the Rossiter Trail. Stone piles dot the landscape revealing the toil of yesteryears farmers clearing the land.

Hawk Hill which is located behind the Otter Valley High School is the 200+ acre property, also known as Old Brandon which is managed , conserve and very often used as an outdoor classroom by the Moosalamoo Center. The students of the Mooslalmoo Center create trail signs, keep the trails clear of debris, and keep the Hawk Hill kiosk up to date. Students also present their Elementary outreaches in Hawk Hill and put themselves to the test in exercising what they've learned in their current unit and they test their primitive skills when they preform their solo's throughout the property. Hawk Hill is used by Moosalamoo for several different projects, as a classroom and as a place where students can put their knowledge to the test.