Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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91 OCTOBER 2018 e recorded history of the island dates back not much further than 1750, when omas Gerry acquired it. "ere's lots of history that predates European settlers," says Parker- Geisman. "I wish we were better at knowing that history." Here's what we do know. In 1806 the island left the Gerry family. It's had a few owners since then and has been used mostly for recreational purposes. It was likely used for sh drying in the early 1800s. ere have been residential homes on the island, the last of which burned down in 1974. One of e Trustees' projects will be to clean up the remains of old structures, like rusty pipes, that lie few and far between on the island. e previous owners, Ted and Julie Moore, who owned the island for 32 years, generously donated the land to e Trustees. "We realized that it really does need someone to do annual upkeep," says Julie. e Moores look back fondly on special times they've enjoyed at Gerry Island. ey laugh as they relate the story of Ted's 50th birthday celebration on the island. It was a big bash on a warm summer evening. ey were having such a good time that they didn't notice the tide coming in. After scrambling to get all their friends safely o the island, the hosts made it back to the mainland with a fun story to tell. e Moores look forward to seeing the island cleaned up and preserved as part of this historic town. "Having e Trustees take care of the island and letting everyone enjoy it was the best course of action to take," says Ted. Julie adds, "Many people contributed to the preservation fund, which was an indication that we were doing the right thing." Parker-Geisman says that with issues like climate change and rising sea levels, it's important to e Trustees to "cultivate places that attract people to their coastlines" so that they develop a personal relationship with their coast. "So they care." CONTACT trustees.org For two or three hours on either side of low tide, Gerry Island is accessible via a tombolo, a naturally occurring land bridge.