The founders of Scientists' Cliffs chose this land because the population of American Chestnut trees showed a particular resistance to the blight.

Original cabins in the area were built from felled American Chestnut trees that died from the blight.

In 1986, when residents of Scientists' Cliffs heard that forests and abandoned farms surrounding their homes were up for sale, possibly to developers, they chipped in and bought the land.

Another feature of Scientists' Cliffs is that a restrictive covenant requires all houses within the community to have a wooden exterior, giving the homes a distinctively rustic look.

The tall cliffs along the edge of the bay contain one of the world's richest fossil deposits from the Miocene period.