Lake Massapoag
Encyclopedia
Lake Massapoag is a 353 acres (1.4 km²), natural, spring
fed lake
located in Sharon, Massachusetts
. The name Massapoag is Algonquin, meaning "large water".
Massapoag is the headwater of the Canoe River
, which flows south to join the Taunton River
and empty into Narragansett Bay
. It is also the headwaters of the Massapoag brook, which flows into the Neponset River.
for the smelting industry.
Massapoag was the site of a large 19th-century ice business, with an enormous wooden icehouse at the eastern end of the lake.
Because of the lake and the fact that Sharon is at a slightly higher elevation than the surrounding towns, and because it is located on the main rail line going south from Boston, the shores of the lake developed into a minor summer resort with several large hotels, summer camps and cottage colonies. Temple Adath Sharon was built as a summer synagogue, and the houses around it, now occupied year-round, were once summer cottages.
The lake is also popular for sailing and sailboarding. The Wheaton College Sailing Team and Sharon High School Sailing Team train on Lake Massapoag.
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
fed lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
located in Sharon, Massachusetts
Sharon, Massachusetts
Sharon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,612 at the 2010 census. Sharon is part of Greater Boston, about 17 miles southwest of downtown Boston....
. The name Massapoag is Algonquin, meaning "large water".
Massapoag is the headwater of the Canoe River
Canoe River
The Canoe River is a river in southeastern Massachusetts. It is long and part of the Taunton River watershed.The Canoe River arises from headwaters near Lake Massapoag in Sharon, and meanders generally southwards through the towns of Sharon, Foxborough, Mansfield, and Easton to empty into...
, which flows south to join the Taunton River
Taunton River
The Taunton River , is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater...
and empty into Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
. It is also the headwaters of the Massapoag brook, which flows into the Neponset River.
History
In the 18th century, workers deepened the outlet of the lake to draw the water down in order to extract bog ironBog iron
Bog iron refers to impure iron deposits that develop in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in the solutions. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, commonly goethite...
for the smelting industry.
Massapoag was the site of a large 19th-century ice business, with an enormous wooden icehouse at the eastern end of the lake.
Because of the lake and the fact that Sharon is at a slightly higher elevation than the surrounding towns, and because it is located on the main rail line going south from Boston, the shores of the lake developed into a minor summer resort with several large hotels, summer camps and cottage colonies. Temple Adath Sharon was built as a summer synagogue, and the houses around it, now occupied year-round, were once summer cottages.
Recreation
The site of the former ice house is now a large town beach. The beach was created by trucking in quantities of sand after the ice house burned down.The lake is also popular for sailing and sailboarding. The Wheaton College Sailing Team and Sharon High School Sailing Team train on Lake Massapoag.