In its original and natural state, Maspenock probably only had 30 to 40 acres of surface area. The fact that Lake Maspenock is so much greater today than the natural pond is due to the construction of dams at its southern tip in order to power mills.According to the website History of Hopedale, Massachusetts, In an article written by By Gordon E. Hopper, there were eleven historic mill sites on the Mill River in the Milford-Hopedale area, nine of which have been located on the interactive map above.It is very likely that the original settlers of Mendon had used the Mill River for powering mills and there is a good chance a dam was installed as early as the 1730s. Unfortunately, there is no written documentation to be found until the beginning of the 1800s. In 1803, a man named Whitney purchased the land at the end of the pond from a man named David Stearns and erected a dam and mill. We know this because of a conflict between the mill owners downstream from the dam which was settled in 1846 by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Location of Eames and Whitney Mills - Google Earth
In Whitney v. Eames, 52 Mass. 517, 11 Met. 517. The plaintiff, Mr. Whitney, in order to prove his title and his right to run his mill, against the claims of the defendant, Mr. Eames, introduced a deed from David Stearns, the previous owner of the land. The plaintiff, Mr. Whitney, introduced evidence that proved that Mr. Eames had erected his mill and dam across the stream, whereby since December 1845, the water flowed back into the ditch and into the dug way mentioned in said deed of David Stearns and so high as to obstruct the plaintiff's mill wheel also tending to prove that Mr. Whitney's mill and dam were erected and put in operation in 1803.In 1833, seven mill owners came together to construct a higher dam 150 feet south of the existing dam, to create a bigger reservoir in order to preserve a head of water for the use and benefit of their several mills and water privileges below the reservoir upon Mill River.
They had already spent $2100 purchasing the rights and privileges of flowing the lands in and about the reservoir and in the construction of the new dam.This agreement also laid out the shares and how to expend other sums of money to complete the reservoir and how to pay for any damages or expenses that might be incurred as a result of the construction, preservation, and maintenance of the reservoir. The party who held the most shares could decide how much to lower or raise the reservoir with a stipulation for the Hunt Wool Factory, the first mill privilege, also having a say in the gate.The seven original owners of the Maspenock Dam and Reservoir were :
Smith Arnold and Company - 12 shares
Luke Aldrich - 2 shares
Joseph Ray - 5 shares
Seth and Eli Kelly - 6 shares
Clark Fisk - 6 shares
Pearley Hunt - 8 shares
Ebeneezer Wood - 5 shares
These shares passed hands many times after the initial reservoir company was founded. In 1833 Clark Fisk sold his shares and 25 acres of land on the eastern shoreline in Hopkinton to John Parkhurst. In 1839, Pearly Hunt sold his shares to Justin Eames.In 1847, Smith Arnold shares were sold to William Wood, Hiram Greenwood, Albert Wood, and Almond Adams. In 1856 Davenport's shares were sold to William Wood, Hiram Greenwood, Albert Wood and Almond Adams. In 1859 Almond Adams to Albert Wood. In 1860 Albert Wood and Almond Adams to the Social Manufacturing Company. In 1860, the Social Manufacturing Company sold all its shares to the Draper Corporation. In the 1880s, the dam was found to be unsafe and the gate was left open for almost a decade.
The Maspenock Dam first built in 1833 and rebuilt 1901
Around 1900, it was decided to repair and raise the dam in order to be able to better provide for the burgeoning industries downstream including the Draper Corporation which was the largest manufacturer of industrial looms in the United States. Maspenock powered these mills for over one hundred and thirty years. They provided employment to thousands and spawned the Town of Hopedale.Construction work on the dam was completed in 1901 and costs of the work were met by contributions from the Lonsdale Co., Manville, Co., Lawton Spinning Co., and the Draper Corp. Smaller contributions were received from a few companies below Woonsocket R.I. This dam raised the lake seven feet higher than the dam that was erected in 1833. Lake Maspenock remains at this level today.The Maspenock dam was maintained for many years by the Draper Corporation for power, water and as a means of reducing the possibility of floods. The Draper Corporation announced on January 23, 1930, that it had taken a controlling interest in the Milford Water Company, a condition that continued until 1949. Stock in the firm had been controlled by Draper since 1919.
The Old Draper Mills Site- Hopedale Massachusetts- Google Earth
In 1966, an effort was made by the Town of Hopedale to take control of the Maspenock dam to provide their town with drinking water. They submitted a bill to the Massachusetts legislature to allow the community the right to take water from Maspenock.This started a grassroots effort by Maspenock residents to defeat the bill in the Legislature. Groups called the Save North Pond Committee and Peppercorn Hill Association gathered supporters, made flyers, and, even bussed people into the State House for the vote. The bill was defeated and Hopedale had to look elsewhere for water. The Save North Pond Committee would eventually morph into todays Lake Maspenock Preservation Association and the Peppercorn Hill Association went on to be the main impetus for the creation of the Peppercorn Hill Conservation Area.The final closing of the Draper Factory in 1980 left a huge empty building complex in the heart of the town and a reservoir no longer needed for industry. The Milford Water Company was responsible for the operation of the Maspenock Dam until 2006.Lake Maspenock and the Mill River were no longer needed for industry and attempts to take it for drinking water by Milford and Hopedale had failed years before. The Milford Water Company lost interest in ownership and maintenance of the dam and offered it for private sale for one dollar. With a grass-roots effort led by the Lake Maspenock Preservation Association, an article to purchase the Maspenock Dam was presented at the Hopkinton Town Meeting on May 4, 2006. This passed by voice vote and the Town of Hopkinton has owned, repaired, and maintained the dam since then. Major repairs were made and a new gate was completed in 2019.
