Moore State Park Restoration Master Plan
1988-1989  Paxton, Massachusetts

For 180 years, Moore State Park was an active mill site.  The park is bisected by the Turkey Hill Brook, which drops 90 feet in less than a quarter of a mile. The water pressure thus generated is believed to have powered two corn mills, a saw mill, a trip hammer shop, and a shingle mill.  The site also housed a tavern, later replaced by a 21 room house.  In 1989, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management commissioned a study to explore the extent of the existing historic artifacts thought to be on the site, and to develop a master plan for the restoration of the remaining mill structures. Focusing on the creation of an interpretive village, the Master Plan called for the complete restoration of the saw mill and the blacksmith shop.  The resulting study included recommendations for the restoration of the saw mill waterwheel for demonstration purposed, as well as reconstruction of the saw mill dam, and research and renovation to return the blacksmith shop to its 19th century appearance.  New paths and entry ways to allow disabled access were also recommended.

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Moore State Park is a 737-acre (298 ha) public recreation area located in the town of Paxton, Massachusetts, portions of which were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Moore State Park Historic District in 2004. Features of the state park include historical building foundations, a restored sawmill, Eames Pond, waterfalls and mill chutes as well as abundant azaleas, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.[3

Client
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management

Status
Completed 1989

Size
Buildings 2,000 ft2  
Land  375 acres