In My Footsteps
Christopher Setterlund
Trip 109: Sharon, Massachusetts
February 17, 2011
Located just north of one of my favorite spots, Easton, and even sharing one of the sites I am covering, the town of Sharon is very similar but also very different from its neighbor. I found it fascinating that the town’s name comes from the Sharon Plain in Israel because of the amount of forest that existed on the land.
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| Lake Massapoag |
As with several other towns in this area of Massachusetts there is a great mix of historic and natural beauty. I tried my best to see as much of both as I could but found myself gravitating toward the natural beauty more. A spot I enjoyed was Lake Massapoag specifically Memorial Park Beach on the north side. The name comes from the Algonquin word meaning ‘large water.’
There was only one problem and that was the snowpack which made walking down to the water’s edge pretty tough. I parked across the street and walked in. I ended up sinking in up to my knees over and over but eventually made it to the water. The area used to be a minor summer resort due to its proximity but those old summer cottages
are now year-round homes. I can see why the lake is so popular even in the dead of winter. The views were spectacular. I would recommend viewing them when it is warmer, or at least when there is less snow.
are now year-round homes. I can see why the lake is so popular even in the dead of winter. The views were spectacular. I would recommend viewing them when it is warmer, or at least when there is less snow. |
| Collecting sap at Moose Hill |
Another beautiful spot to take in is the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. Here the snow made the scenery even better. I walked through some of the trails but I will admit that the heavy snow pack made it slow going. The 347 acre conservation area sports the 466-foot tall Moose
Hill, second in size only to Great Blue Hill in Weymouth between Boston and Providence. The hillsides also house some rare American chestnut trees which used to be plentiful until a bark fungus nearly exterminated them. I also got to see some buckets collecting sap from maple trees
, a classic New England scene with the snow adding to it. I highly recommend checking out Moose Hill when the warmer weather arrives, I think I am going to do the same.
Hill, second in size only to Great Blue Hill in Weymouth between Boston and Providence. The hillsides also house some rare American chestnut trees which used to be plentiful until a bark fungus nearly exterminated them. I also got to see some buckets collecting sap from maple trees, a classic New England scene with the snow adding to it. I highly recommend checking out Moose Hill when the warmer weather arrives, I think I am going to do the same.
As great as Lake Massapoag and Moose Hill were as far as scenery went there was one place very familiar to me that topped them both. Borderland State Park which straddles the line between Sharon and Easton is a beautiful area that I was really happy to get to see again. The 1,782 acre Borderland State Park has a Frisbee golf course, gigantic open fields, horseback riding, and the picturesque Leaches Pond.
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| The Borderland mansion |
The last time I visited Borderland it was spring and all of the flowers and trees were in bloom. This time it was the dead of winter but that didn’t take away from it. On this day it was quite warm and there was a lot of melting snow which made the dirt paths muddy. Still, that was no deterrent for me as I had another chance to check out the crown jewel of Borderland.
The land on which the park stands was purchased by Oakes Ames and his wife Blanche in 1906. The name ‘Borderland’ was given to the three-story stone mansion built on the grounds in 1910. The last time I was there when I visited Easton I did not spend as much time at the mansion as I should have; the fact that everything was in bloom sort of distracted me. This time I was more of a detective checking out every inch possible of the hundred year old home.
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| How my favorite tree looks in spring. |
For those of you unfamiliar with my Easton article the Ames family is perhaps the most well known in that town. Patriarch Oaks Ames served in the House of Representatives from 1863 to 1873 and was also a key person in the completion of the Union Pacific portion of the United States Transcontinental Railroad. Ames was asked to take over the Union Pacific section by President Lincoln
who was busy with the Civil War.
who was busy with the Civil War.
Ames was also marred in controversy due to his involvement in the Credit Mobilier of America Scandal of 1872. Ames sold shares of stock in the Credit Mobilier loan company for well below market value which meant that the profit margins were much less than anticipated and in the end many investors as well as Union Pacific were nearly bankrupt. The Ames Memorial Hall in Easton was built by his children in an attempt to ease some of the hard feelings against their father.
All of that aside the mansion and the rest of the park is magnificent. On this day I ventured behind the mansion and was able to get a better view of it. The rolling hill leading away from the mansion was really cool, looking like a perfect spot for sledding. I was a little disappointed that my favorite tree, I believe it's a dogwood, was not in bloom. During the previous spring it had some amazing pinkish-purple blossoms that made for a lot of great photos.
Sharon ended up being a perfect companion to neighboring Easton including the fact that they share Borderland State Park. There are several nature preserves and conservation areas to see that will probably be even better when the snow is only a memory like Moose Hill. Still, visiting Sharon should not be predicated on time of year, it can be enjoyed anytime. Have fun and happy traveling!
My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available at SchifferBooks.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com, in stores everywhere! Follow me on Twitter! For more In My Footsteps items follow the In My Footsteps fan page on Facebook, or visit my homepage at ChristopherSetterlund.com. Thanks for reading!
Directions: Borderland State Park: From I-495 heading north take Exit 7A for Rt. 24 north. Take Exit 16B to merge with Rt. 106, follow 5 miles and turn right at Poquanticut Ave. Turn left at Massapoag Ave, follow 2 miles, park will be on right.
Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary: From I-495 take Exit 13A for I-95 N. Take Exit 8 for S. Main St. toward Sharon. Follow 1.2 mi. turn left at Walpole St., turn right at Moose Hill St. Follow 1.3 miles to headquarters.
References: Borderland State Park
who were very friendly and came over to the fence to become better photo subjects. There was also an adorable otter in a circular tank. It acted relatively normal until it spotted me; then it put on a show by swimming back and forth across the tank making sure to flip upside down to swim once it reached the wall. I ended up watching it for a while until I realized that there was still a big hike ahead of me.
on Great Blue Hill is clearly visible as you walk the grounds of Brookwood and it can distract you a bit from the lush farmland, not that I am complaining. It gave the farm a different feel.
but in reality it is one of the two oldest multiple arched stone railroad bridges in the United States. That is a lot of information but all you really need to know is that it is a spectacular site. I drove under it on Neponset Street to find a better place to park and get a great view. 
in 1871. There is an entirely different article in that fact alone.
and landed first in modern-day Ipswich, then known as Agawam, before stopping where Newbury currently stands.
in the 1760s as he wanted mile markers at every mile on post roads
in Philadelphia and then extending up the coast from New York City into New England. Milestones however had been around since the beginning on the 1700’s with many in Newbury having been carved by John Dummer who was the grandson of the first settler in Newbury.
and placed in the middle of an old stone wall in Newbury. Not knowing why the stone is there or where the inspiration came from should not ruin the experience of seeing it. Historic homes make up a lot of what is unique about Newbury but the Milestones and the Witch’s Stone make for an amazing historic scavenger hunt that not many other towns can offer. Have fun and happy traveling!
to me. It was a beautiful drive as well but not quite large enough to warrant its own article. Therefore I am wedging Plum Island in with Newburyport since they are very closely connected.
in the shape of a lighthouse as I could imagine doors opening and a lawnmower being pushed out of it. This lighthouse at one point had a wooden section on top of it making it thirty-five feet tall but it was damaged by fire and the resulting restoration left it in its current shorter stature. It is hard to gain access to but it is easy to see through and over the surrounding chain link fence.
as a whole. Sitting just to the east of the lighthouse is a unique set of shops, unique because of the building they sit in that is. The collection of five buildings listed as ‘Mills’ contain many stores but to me the buildings were more impressive. 
and in full bloom it is even more impressive but Atkinson Common still had some great scenery. That included a thirty-foot tall stone tower which was neat despite its dilapidated condition. It is severely in need of work when compared to the rest of the common but I suppose that it all depends on contributions to get that done. That being said it sort of fit in on the cold wintry day.
in New York, or at least is something you’d expect to see in a typically warmer part of the country. Rated one of the best beaches by National Geographic Ocean Beach Park has a huge stretch of beach with a miniature golf course, several covered picnic areas, a huge waterslide, and even a Work Out World gym if swimming is not enough.
who haunts New London Ledge Light. The story of ‘Ernie’ is all about the lonely life of a lighthouse keeper and his family. John Randolph was the real ‘Ernie’ and the lighthouse keeper. He took his own life after discovering that his wife had run off with a ferry boat captain.
from 1933 and Long Day’s Journey Into Night from 1941. The cottage was built in the 1840’s and since it was closed on the day I visited I took the time to sit in a wooden rocking chair on the porch and imagine what it would have been like for young Eugene; the view of the river was awesome. It is open every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
roaming the fort grounds. I was only able to get one photo as they seemed wild and always ran away when I got close.