The South Kingstown Land Trust operates its field office at 17 Matunuck Beach Road in Wakefield. This handsome structure, which overlooks the strikingly beautiful cultivated fields of Weeden Farm, was made possible by the generous support of a benefactor. SKLT conducts most of its business meetings here along with public gatherings, lectures, and its annual auction and other fundraising events.
The Barn, as this graceful structure is known, is available for rental by non-profit organizations only. It holds an average of 100 events per year on the premises, including retreats, conferences, and planning sessions. The Barn is made available free of charge to other land trusts. In order to find out more about renting the Barn, contact julia.landstreet@sklt.org or call 401-789-0962 ex. 205. Please note that fundraisers are NOT permissible.
Origin and History
For more than 100 years an accessory building stood on the site of SKLT’s Barn, with the same external dimensions and footprint as the current building, and it was used by the Weeden family as a garage and living quarters for farm staff. In 1999, the Weeden Farm was subdivided, and 97 acres of farm fields were permanently protected by The Nature Conservancy, purchased with funds from the Champlin Foundations and the Rhode Island Agricultural Land Preservation Commission. The fee title to the farmland was then transferred to South Kingstown Land Trust for stewardship in perpetuity. The buildings at that time remained in private ownership.
At the end of 2001, an individual purchased the old barn on its 3.6 acres and donated the land and building to SKLT, for use as a field office and to support and encourage continued land preservation in the area. Since the old barn proved to be in disrepair, a replacement was built, with funding generously donated. In March 2003, SKLT began using the building for its meetings and events.
The Barn at Weeden Farm is strategically located in the heart of land conservation work in South Kingstown, including farmlands in Matunuck, rare species habitats of the Matunuck Hills, and the geologic wonders of Perryville. In sharing the use of this space with other like-minded organizations, SKLT hopes to inspire continuing work on protecting the valuable natural lands of South Kingstown and South County.
