In the late 1800s, Ehrick Rossiter (1854-1941) recognized the inherent beauty of the Shepaug River Valley and bought up riverfront land, including a renowned hillside known as Steep Rock. Carriage roads were built through the valley’s fields and forests linking scenic overlooks, river crossings, and picnic spots. He called his riverside retreat Steep Rock Park. In 1925 Rossiter founded a land trust to preserve it and open it to the public for everyone to enjoy. Today, his 360-acre retreat is the heart of the 1,000-acre Steep Rock Preserve. Carol Santoleri’s, author of The History of Steep Rock Association: The Jewel in the Crown (2020), will tell the history of Steep Rock. In a richly illustrated presentation featuring “then and now” comparisons with 120-year-old photographs from the Gunn Historical Museum, Santoleri will shed light on the making of a land trust that has blossomed within Washington, CT over the past 100 years. Santoleri is a landscape historian and photographer who has spent 25 years hiking the trails of Steep Rock Preserve. With a fine arts degree in landscape architecture from Rhode Island School of Design and a master’s in landscape history from Columbia University, Carol brings both artistic and research-driven insights to her work. Steep Rock Centennial Events are generously supported by Fioritas Kornhaas & Company PC, New Morning Market, William Raveis Lifestyles Realty, Gallagher Insurance, Hanggi & Company CPAs, LLC, National Iron Bank, Trevenen & Coploff LLC, Alliant Insurance Services, Kelly Law Offices and Plain Goods.