Moore State Park

Moore State Park
Massachusetts State Park
Sawmill at Moore State Park
Location Paxton, Massachusetts
Biome Oak-hickory forest,
northern hardwood forest, pond, wetlands
Plant Red Oak, Eastern White Pine
Area 730 acres (3.0 km2)
Website: Moore State Park

Moore State Park is a 730-acre (3.0 km2) state park located in Paxton, Massachusetts. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Features of the park include a numerous historical sites (principally foundations), a restored sawmill, two-thirds of Eames Pond, waterfalls and mill chutes, and abundant azaleas, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel. Park recreational opportunities include canoeing, fishing, hiking, cross country skiing, and picnicing. Interpretive programs and concerts are held in season. Moore State Park is located off Massachusetts Route 31.

History

A portion of the land within Moore State Park was once the home to at least five 18th and 19th century watermills that were powered by the cascading waters of Turkey Hill Brook that fall 90 feet over a 400-foot run. The first mills built on the site were a gristmill and sawmill as early as 1747. The remnants of this mill village are still visible and include, in addition to the mills, a triphammer, quarry, school house, and tavern.

In the early 20th-century, the property became a private estate; large portions of it have subsequently been included in the state park.

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