Moore State Park
Encyclopedia
Moore State Park is a 730 acres (3 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.
A portion of the land within Moore State Park was once the home to at least five 18th and 19th century watermill
s 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.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in Paxton, Massachusetts
Paxton, Massachusetts
Paxton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,806 at the 2010 census.-History:Paxton was first settled in 1749 and was officially incorporated in 1765....
. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. As of May 24, 2011 the Commissioner of the DCR is Edward M. Lambert, Jr...
. Features of the park include a numerous historical sites (principally foundations), a restored sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
, two-thirds of Eames Pond, waterfalls and mill chutes, and abundant azaleas, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Kalmia latifolia, commonly called Mountain-laurel or Spoonwood, is a species of flowering plant in the blueberry family, Ericaceae, that is native to the eastern United States. Its range stretches from southern Maine south to northern Florida, and west to Indiana and Louisiana. Mountain-laurel is...
. 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
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s 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
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
as early as 1747. The remnants of this mill village are still visible and include, in addition to the mills, a triphammer, quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, school house
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, and tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
.
In the early 20th-century, the property became a private estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
; large portions of it have subsequently been included in the state park.