Alex Sylvaria explains the work that he and his volunteers did for his Eagle Scout Project: making this stone building visible and accessible from the bike path in the Little Bay Conservation Area in Fairhaven on 8/17/18. Photo by Beth David.
By Beth David, Editor
Anyone using the Little Bay Extension on the Phoenix Bike Trail in Fairhaven by now has noticed that the grounds around the old stone building have been spruced up quite a bit as of late. The project is the brainchild of Fairhaven resident Alex Sylvaria, 17, who is fixing up the area for his Eagle Scout Project.
The whole area, now called the Little Bay Conservation Area, was part of a summer camp for girls in the 1920s, and the building was used by the campers, who made good use of the woods and Girl Scout island in Little Bay. The building also was reportedly used as a cow barn, according to Mr. Sylvaria.
Located at the end of Little Bay Road, a dirt road for cars off Sconticut Neck Road, the building is only about 100 feet from the little parking lot and a picnic area.
Somewhere along the way, the roof caught fire, and vandals have pretty much had their way with it over the decades. The grounds around it became overgrown with grass up to eight feet high, bushes and trees, making the building barely visible from the road and the bike path.
Hard to believe, but there is a building back there. This is a “before” picture of one angle of the stone building in the Little Bay Conservation Area in Fairhaven that is the focus of an Eagle Scout Project by Alex Sylvaria. Photo courtesy of Ellie Sylvaria.
So far, the building’s roof (what was left of it) has been taken down and the debris removed. Mr. Sylvaria and his volunteers have cut the grass, pulled out bushes by the roots, cut down some trees, and, basically, cleared a path to the building from the bike path and the parking lot.
Mr. Sylvaria has also repaired the two picnic tables there, and plans on adding two more. He will also add a bike rack at the end of Little Bay Road near the picnic tables and the newly painted fence. The graffiti in the building still needs to be painted over.
It is also not far from a small spur off the bike path that leads to a stone pier that is perfect for teaching youngsters how to fish.
The transformation is stark, and people have noticed.
“He did a nice job,” said Jim Pora, who is an Eagle Scout himself. He said his project was on traffic counts in his home town in the 1970s.
He and Leslie Perkins use the bike path extension pretty regularly and said they noticed the work being done.
“It looks really sharp,” said Ms. Perkins.
Mr. Pora said he was happy to see that the building was being fixed up.
“It’s an artifact,” he said. “And you couldn’t see it before.”
The project, by Scout rules, must be something that benefits the community, must have community support, and must involve the troop
And the members of Troop 52 from St. Mary’s Church in Fairhaven have shown up in force to help Alex with his project.
The picnic table near the stone building in the Little Bay Conservation Area in Fairhaven before it was spruced up by Alex Sylvaria as part of his Eagle Scout Project. Photo courtesy of Ellie Sylvaria.
The picnic table near the stone building in the Little Bay Conservation Area in Fairhaven after it was spruced up by Alex Sylvaria as part of his Eagle Scout Project. Photo by Beth David.
Community support has been shown in a lot of ways. In House Custom volunteered to remove the roof, a piece that had to be done by professionals. Alex had more than 20 volunteers of all ages and all walks of life help with everything else. The project was approved by the Board of Public Works and PW workers removed several loads of debris, brought in wood chips, and helped with whatever was asked of them. The Selectboard also supported the project.
Some members of the public resisted, saying that the vandals would ruin the hard work, and cautioning that the Little Bay Conservation Area is not a park, but a different kind of place. Mr. Sylvaria said that he would not let the threat of vandalism stop his project. He said he hoped that after the area was cleaned up, that people would respect it more and “not trash it.”
“I do it knowing that I’m taking a risk,” he said. “If it happens, we’ll fix it.”
Alex’s father and number-one supporter Ellie said the only resistance was from someone saying the vandals would ruin all the hard work. He said it is important not to let the vandals take over the town.
“You’ve got to take pride in your community,” he said.
The building is still structurally sound, something that would be very expensive to duplicate today.
Alex said that the project is also supposed to show his leadership skills, so he was supposed to delegate and supervise, not just do the work.
“I’m supposed to be the mouthpiece,” he said.
People using the bike path have shown lots of support he said, with some jumping in to help as they noticed the work going on; some joining them at subsequent work parties; and some donating money or sharing ideas.
There is one spot that the workers will not touch, though: A huge wasp nest that sits quietly on the north side of the building, simply making the point that nature’s beasts, no matter how small, have a right to be there too.
Alex Sylvaria mows some very high grass in front of the stone building in the Little Bay Conservation Area in Fairhaven that is the focus of his Eagle Scout Project. Photo courtesy of Ellie Sylvaria.
“I’m not messing with that,” said Mr. Sylvaria.
In the fall, the group will plant grass, and that should be the final phase of the project. He will ask the BPW to maintain cutting the grass, which they do along the bike path anyway.
“I’m asking them to meet me halfway,” said Mr. Sylvaria. “We don’t want it to get overgrown again.”
He said he will promise to keep it maintained for a year, but after that, who knows where his life will take him once he turns 18?
Ellie said everyone in town, including businesses they have contacted, have been very helpful.
“It’s a nice, peaceful area,” said the elder Mr. Sylvaria. “It’s one of those places no one really knows about.”
The project is not quite done, so there will be more chances for members of the community to help. Find Ellie Sylvaria on Facebook to keep informed. They estimate about 300 hours have already been worked on the project.
Only four percent of Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout. It requires a minimum of 21 merit badges and the community project before the Scout turns 18 years old. •••
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