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Beaver Brook Reservation

Coordinates: 42°23′36″N 71°11′50″W / 42.3934156°N 71.1972687°W / 42.3934156; -71.1972687
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Beaver Brook Reservation
Waverly Oaks
Waverly Oaks
Map showing the location of Beaver Brook Reservation
Map showing the location of Beaver Brook Reservation
Location in Massachusetts
Map showing the location of Beaver Brook Reservation
Map showing the location of Beaver Brook Reservation
Beaver Brook Reservation (the United States)
LocationBelmont and Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°23′36″N 71°11′50″W / 42.3934156°N 71.1972687°W / 42.3934156; -71.1972687[1]
Area303 acres (123 ha)[2]
Elevation128 ft (39 m)[1]
Established1893
AdministratorMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Beaver Brook Reservation is a public recreation area covering 303 acres (123 ha) on the dividing line between the town of Belmont and the city of Waltham, Massachusetts. The state park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.[3]

History

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Created in 1893, the state park was the first reservation established by the Metropolitan Park Commission. Its primary purpose was to protect a stand of 22 white oak trees known as the Waverly Oaks, which had been defended from destruction by landscape architect Charles Eliot. The last of the ancient trees succumbed to old age in the 1920s. A portion of the reservation was owned by the landscape architect Robert Morris Copeland (1830-1874),[4] whose 19th-century home sits within the park. Other points of historical interest include a monument to the Waverly Oaks and the remains of a 19th-century fulling mill.[5]

Activities and amenities

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In addition to a bike path, playing fields, woodlands, wetlands, a cascading waterfall, wading pool, and fishing opportunities, the reservation offers programs on wildlife and cultural history. Restrooms and a tot lot are also available.[3]

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Duck Pond". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "2012 Acreage Listing". Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Beaver Brook Reservation". Department of Conservation and Recreation. June 28, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  4. ^ "Robert Morris Copeland". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  5. ^ "Beaver Brook Historic Reservation" (PDF). Waltham Land Trust Guide to Open Spaces. Waltham Land Trust. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
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