Babcock House

The Babcock House is central to the Trail System; it can be seen from many parts of the trails and many trails lead near it or to it.

The 59-acre Westerly Estate (Westerly Memory Care shares this name), adjacent to Salemtowne, was home to Charles H. Babcock Jr. for 30 years until his death in 2005 following a heart attack at the age of 72. Babcock, a philanthropist, and grandson of R.J. Reynolds willed his $29 million fortune to Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. In 2007, the foundation donated the property to Salemtowne.

The gift of the estate roughly doubled the size of the Salemtowne campus. It included a 2,300-square-foot house, a barn, a pond, and many acres of woodlands. The barn was removed when the Babcock Healthcare Center was built. The house is used for special events and fine dining. The gift required at least half of the property to be a Protected Tract. This protected property is where most of the Salemtowne Trail System is located.