Studley Pond (Reed’s Pond)

The first recorded name of this pond was Silver Lake. Later it was known as Reed’s Pond and Studley’s Pond. It was formed in 1705 when the French brothers dammed French’s Stream and constructed a sawmill on site. In the 1800s, Samuel Reed, an abolitionist, lived beside the pond. His home was a station on the Underground Railroad. In 1901, Gideon Studley erected a box factory on this site. The island within the pond is named for him (Gideon’s Island). Also, in the 1800s, the Tudor Ice Company of Boston harvested ice here.

In the early 20th century, use of the pond became more recreational. There was a pavilion, and swimming was a popular pastime in the summer. This continued into the 1950s/1960s, but poor water quality eventually put an end to it. Fishing remains a common activity here. Paddlers are also welcome. Vestiges of walls, steps and decorative features from prior enterprises can be found along the edges of the pond. The Spring Lake Cemetery is immediately adjacent.

This land is within the region of the Massachuseuk (or Massachusett) Native American tribe. According to Martha Campbell’s Remembering Old Abington, the original town of Abington included today’s Abington and Rockland as well as most of Whitman. in the 1660s, European settlers from Weymouth began establishing homesteads within the town. While the settlers came from Massachusetts Bay Colony, the land was part of Plymouth Colony. All of the 18 original land grants were along the Satucket Path, a trail established by Native Americans that extended from Wessagusset Beach in North Weymouth to Robbins Pond in East Bridgewater.

In her book, Campbell also recounts how Gideon Studley found a Native American stone mortar near the pond, while plowing a cornfield on the site of what is now the parking area for Rockland Plaza.