With much to do in New England, there’s no wonder it’s a popular vacation destination for families. Ames Nowell State Park is a favorite attraction in town. Open year-round for daytime recreation, Cleveland Pond is great for boaters and fisherman. There are also several beautiful miles of trails along the pond edge and surrounding woods.
There was a sawmill originally in the 1720s where the pond starts and eventually became a gristmill in 1785. The property changed hands several times, and in 1903 the mill was destroyed. In the 1920s, a lawyer named Edwin Holmes purchased the land and built a dam which is now the pond called Cleveland Pond.
Ames Nowell, the grandson of Oliver Ames the 35th governor of Massachusetts purchased the land in the 1930s when Holmes was unable to pay land taxes. Another historical feature is the Richards Family Burial Ground located at the north east corner of cleveland pond. There is only one remaining gravestone remaining which is almost illegible.
The hiking trails at Ames Nowell State Park are plentiful and said to contain approximately 600 acres. Of those 600 acres, 88 of those acres contain Cleveland Pond. Beaver Brook flows into Cleveland Pond to the north and exits at its south. It is at this brook that the former mills of Old Abington stood.
Close by to another popular attraction known as Blue Hills Reservation, the hiking trails at this Park are mostly easy and truly a hikers dream. There has been some new trail work that makes it now possible to hike around the whole of well known Cleveland Pond. There are also two boardwalks in this park.
Both boardwalks have a fencing along the side facing the water. Ames Nowell backs up to Beaver Brook Conservation area which is in the City of Brockton. Some trails not on the map lead into that conservation area. If you are that explorer at heart, then exploring Ames Nowell state park will be a delight.