During the Mill’s heyday, the OBHS campus was a hardworking early industrial site on the bank of the Pemaquid River, continuing as a retail lumber yard in more recent decades. OBHS is working to restore this historic property, creating an environmentally friendly and welcoming refuge for visitors to relax amidst the flora and fauna of our riverside grounds. Project elements include asphalt and debris removal, restoration of topsoil and native growth, and new plantings of native trees, plants and shrubs.
In 2022, we began this work with the completion of our riparian 
bank project. To protect the water as it flows along the property, we chose plantings that were native and environmentally friendly to all: fish, birds, animals, insects, and people too. To enhance the function of this area, the design includes three levels with different root depths that increase infiltration, help capture nutrients, sediments, and pollutants, slowing the water runoff and reducing erosion.
When the needed funds are raised (approximately $50,000), we look forward to our next big project which includes the removal of asphalt on the property and the concrete pad left over from the removal of a storage facility.