News

The Berry family recently donated 15-acres of woodland in Killingly to the Wyndham Land Trust who will keep it in its natural state and protect it from development.
“We are pleased to donate this property in loving memory of our parents, Louise S. and Richard C. Berry,” said their daughter Robin Berry. “We're grateful to be able to honor our parent's wish that the land surrounding our family home be held in conservation. My siblings and I have fond memories of enjoying this property and are delighted it will now be accessible to others.”
Louise and Richard Berry were well-known figures in the Quiet Corner who touched many lives. Louis, a Killingly native, was best known as the school superintendent for the Town of Brooklyn serving school superintendent in Connecticut history. She also served in the 1970s as State Senator for the 29th district. Richard was best known as an executive of Rogers Corporation, where he worked for more than 40 years.
Louise and Richard lived in their home on Mashentuck Road in Killingly where she raised five children. They helped to build the house in the early 1950s, and subsequently acquired three adjacent parcels of land. Their short-term goal was to provide their kids with a wild place to roam, but their long-term goal was to preserve the rural nature of their own corner of Killingly.
When Louise passed away in 2022, her children were left with a strong connection to the house on Mashentuck Road and a family tradition of environmental protection. Her son, Don, is the President of the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, based in Center Harbor, NH at the northern tip of Lake Winnipesuakee. Don recognized that donating the family land along Mashentuck Road to a local land trust was the best approach to ensuring its long-term protection. It was a natural step for him to contact the Wyndham Land Trust. The three parcels cover 15 acres with road-frontage, a small pond, and rocky ledge and connect
with extensive undeveloped land to the northwest and to the east. The Land Trust gratefully accepted the donation, which will be named the “Berry Family Preserve.”