Allegheny Land Trust
Helping local people save local land

Highlights

The orignal deed for Sycamore Island shows that Nathaniel Irish purchased the property in 1810 for only $1.60.  Interestingly, the fees paid to the Treasury Office of Pennsylvania, $14.50, were many times the purchase price.  Also, note that the orignal deed is for an island “containing 6 acres & 7 perc[hes]”.  (A perch is a measure of land equal to a square rod or 30.25 square yards.)

Now, nearly 200 years later, Sycamore Island has increased to 14 acres due to its location on the inside of a river bend where silt and sediment are deposited.  And, as the new owner of Sycamore Island, Allegheny Land Trust will protect this unique property from development forever.