Dudley, MA – The Dudley Conservation Land Trust (DCLT) is excited to announce a generous donation from the Perron family, which includes land, a small barn, and an 1830s historic post and beam Cape Cod style home located in Dudley. According to the Dudley Historical Commission, “…this house is now a relatively rare example of a once ubiquitous element of the historic landscape.” The barn is a more recent addition to the property.

“DCLT has been looking for a permanent home for some time—somewhere to store our collection of documents, to hold board meetings, and to maybe even host events—and the Perron family has been gracious enough to gift us such a space in a perfect location,” said DCLT president Liza Moran. Along with this potential future home for DCLT, the donor has offered three extra acres—previously used for agricultural purposes—at a reasonable price, and DCLT will be conserving the entire property. This property was previously owned by the parents of Louis and Julie Perron and Susan Lyman. After their parents’ passing, the siblings discussed how best to honor their parents’ legacy. “Our parents loved this property and our family is delighted that the DCLT will preserve the land and make use of the historic house,” said donor Lou Perron.

“Our parents loved this property and our family is delighted that the DCLT will preserve the land and make use of the historic house.”

– Lou Perron

This parcel, situated at 277 Dudley Oxford Road, adjoins Mass Audubon’s Pierpont Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary and lies extremely close to DCLT’s Slater Woods sanctuary. DCLT intends to restore the historic residence—likely starting with stabilizing the structure by replacing the sills. The entire home restoration process is expected to take a considerable amount of time and money. In contrast, the barn may be utilized sooner since its renovation requirements are less extensive. This could allow for the storage of equipment needed to maintain DCLT’s sanctuaries, aligning with one of our five-year strategic objectives for stewardship. If you would like to contribute your skills, labor, or funds to aid in the restoration and upkeep of the historic Perron property, please contact DCLT  at DudleyConservationLandTrust@gmail.com.