Ferry Hill Thicket

68 Peabody Rd, Marshfield, MA 02050, USA

Owned By: Town of Marshfield

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6 acres of Marshfield Conservation land with a trail through mixed forest and wetlands. An oasis for migrating birds. Located diagonally across the street from Ferry Hill Center.

Features

A great spot for birders. These 6 acres of Marshfield Conservation land are tucked into a valley between two residential areas. This property was one of the very first to be acquired by the Town of Marshfield as conservation land, in 1966. This land is within the region of the Massachuseuk (or Massachusett) Native American tribe.

According to W. Ray Freden’s blog post “Ferry Hill’s Early Days,” the Ferry Hill neighborhood was named for the ferry on its eastern shore, which was ordered by the Plymouth Colony Court in 1638 at the spot where the Pilgrim Trail crossed the North River. (This eventually became White’s Ferry.) The 70-acre, 70-foot high hill was forested when European settlers arrived in the area. Its northern end became a mecca for shorebird hunters in the 1800’s. Numerous hunting blinds were established, targeting species such as yellowlegs, whimbrels, long billed curlews, black-bellied plovers, golden plovers, and sanderlings. After the railroad came to Marshfield in 1871, sportsmen would often travel to Ferry Hill by way of the Sea View train station, and hire locals to guide them. This continued until 1918, when the Migratory Bird Treaty Act outlawed shorebird hunting, and limits/seasons were established for hunting waterfowl.

In 1888, George Ireland bought all the available land on Ferry Hill and began developing it into small lots, geared for tents and hunting camps. In the mid-1920’s, the Crosby Water Co. built a pumping station and water storage tank on Ferry Hill (on today’s Ireland Road, by Carleton Road). Wells were established nearby, in a wetland area with springs that is today’s Ferry Hill Thicket. The water company supplied not only Ferry Hill, but the Sea View and Humarock neighborhoods nearby. Larger, more permanent houses soon replaced the tents and hunting camps. By 1930, about 100 homes stood on Ferry Hill. Due to insufficient wastewater management, the wells became polluted and the Crosby Water Co. shut down in 1946.

Trail Description

The recently-groomed trail (2020) is short – not even a half-mile. It provides a pedestrian connection between Ferry Hill Road and Peabody Road. You’ll find the trailhead just past, and across the street, from Ferry Hill Center.

Habitats and Wildlife

Within this tiny property, you’ll find maple, holly, cedar, oak, and birch, plus some really large pine trees and lots of greenbrier. There is a small stream with wetlands around it. Watch and listen for warblers in the spring.