Fork Factory Brook
Encyclopedia
Fork Factory Brook is a 135 acre (55 ha) historic site, open space reserve
, and agricultural reserve located in Medfield, Massachusetts
. The reserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations
, is notable for its wetlands, ledges, 300 year old hayfields, and ruins of a 19th century pitchfork
mill for which the property is named. Fork Factory Brook offers 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. The property is a spur link in the 200 miles (321.9 km) Bay Circuit Trail
system and is part of a larger area of protected open space including the abutting Rocky Woods
preserve, also managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
from hemp
, flax
, and wool
; made butter
and cheese
; and produced candles and boots with animal byproducts. Fields on the property are currently maintained to produce hay
.
A succession of mills were operated on the property, beginning in 1771 when Joshua Morse built a grist mill along Mill Brook. Henry Partridge bought two mills on Mill Brook in the early 19th century and modified them to produce high quality iron products. Partridge capitalized on local farming interests by producing metal farm implements, most notabily the pitchfork for which the property is named. The mills ran for twenty years after which they saw a brief revival as a paper cutting enterprise near the end of the American Civil War
. In 1927 the mills, defunct at the time, were torn down when the town widened its main street; only the stone raceway and earthen dam remain; they are located at the south end of the Fork Factory Brook reservation.
The original acreage was a gift of Pliny Jewell, Jr. and Mrs. Barrett Williams in 1966 in memory of their parents. Additional lands were purchased and donated in 1978 and 1985.
Open space reserve
Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...
, and agricultural reserve located in Medfield, Massachusetts
Medfield, Massachusetts
Medfield is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,024 according to the 2010 Census. Medfield is an affluent community about 17 miles southwest of Boston....
. The reserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
, is notable for its wetlands, ledges, 300 year old hayfields, and ruins of a 19th century pitchfork
Pitchfork
A pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
mill for which the property is named. Fork Factory Brook offers 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. The property is a spur link in the 200 miles (321.9 km) Bay Circuit Trail
Bay Circuit Trail
The Bay Circuit Trail or Bay Circuit is a Massachusetts recreational trail which, when complete, will form an arc through the outlying suburbs of Boston from Plum Island in Newburyport to Kingston Bay in Duxbury, a distance of . of the trail were complete as of 2007...
system and is part of a larger area of protected open space including the abutting Rocky Woods
Rocky Woods
Rocky Woods is a open space preserve located in Medfield, Massachusetts. The preserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations, is notable for its rugged terrain. Rocky Woods offers of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback...
preserve, also managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
Terrain and History
Hayfields on the property formerly belonged to Long Acre Farm, whose agricultural history spanned 300 years. The farm grew crops and maintained livestock;produced ropeRope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
from hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
, flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
, and wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
; made butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
and cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
; and produced candles and boots with animal byproducts. Fields on the property are currently maintained to produce hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
.
A succession of mills were operated on the property, beginning in 1771 when Joshua Morse built a grist mill along Mill Brook. Henry Partridge bought two mills on Mill Brook in the early 19th century and modified them to produce high quality iron products. Partridge capitalized on local farming interests by producing metal farm implements, most notabily the pitchfork for which the property is named. The mills ran for twenty years after which they saw a brief revival as a paper cutting enterprise near the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. In 1927 the mills, defunct at the time, were torn down when the town widened its main street; only the stone raceway and earthen dam remain; they are located at the south end of the Fork Factory Brook reservation.
The original acreage was a gift of Pliny Jewell, Jr. and Mrs. Barrett Williams in 1966 in memory of their parents. Additional lands were purchased and donated in 1978 and 1985.