SHAPLEIGH — Roger K. Williams spent 30 years developing a park-like retreat on 350 acres in this community.

He maintained meticulous fields, dug ponds and built a gravel trail system through the property.

And now Williams, a Sanford native who lives in Florida, has given the land to the Town of Shapleigh.

Townspeople voted earlier this month to accept the land, which is in two abutting parcels in the Fort Ridge area, one with frontage on County Road, the other on Gulf Road.

“It’s a gorgeous place,” said Madge Baker, a Shapleigh resident and board member of Three Rivers Land Trust, which assisted in arranging the land donation. “The minute you’re there, you see you’re in a very special place.”

Baker said the expanse of fields and woods embodies the spirit of a quiet park.

And on a clear day, those who have taken a hike through the property say you can see Mount Washington and the ocean from atop an observation tower Williams had built on Fort Ridge.

According to Baker, Williams has owned and cared for the property since the mid-1970s.

“(He) had gravel roads built for access throughout the property, and cleared fields of rocks,” she said. “He had several ponds dug to provide year-round surface water, not only for fire protection but for wildlife, aquatic creatures, and for human enjoyment.”

Williams kept the fields mowed, and even though Florida is now his home, Baker said he would spend at least a couple of weeks each year working on the property.

“Over the years, he has generously permitted the public to enjoy it, too, so long as they came on foot,” she said. “This peaceful place has been sought out most frequently in hunting season because the wildlife is abundant.”

For several years, Williams has been looking for the right entity to become the next steward of the land. Baker said Williams was looking to see that the property would be given to those with the desire and ability to keep it in good condition and open to pedestrian use. He came to the conclusion that the town where the land is located was the right choice.

Baker said it is Williams’ hope the new owners will keep the property maintained and that it will never be subdivided into house lots. She said he is hoping the town will consider a conservation easement on the property similar to the one that protects the Shapleigh Town Forest property.

Charles Mullins, chairman of Shapleigh selectmen, said a public hearing prior to the Nov. 19 vote elicited just a few questions. The residents who turned out for the special Town Meeting were unanimous in their decision to accept the parcels.

Mullins said the next step is to form a committee consisting of representatives of the Shapleigh Town Forest, the town’s conservation commission, the Three Rivers Land Trust and others to develop a usage plan for the property.

“It’s a special piece of land,” said Mullins, noting the recreation potential. “It would be a great place to hike or ride horses.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.