Middlesex Fells Reservation
| Middlesex Fells Reservation | |
| Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston | |
 Bridge crossing 18th-century dam
on Spot Pond Brook |
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| Nickname: The Fells | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Middlesex |
| Cities/towns | Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, Winchester |
| Elevation | 187 ft (57 m) |
| Coordinates | 42°26′51″N 71°06′21″W / 42.44750°N 71.10583°WCoordinates: 42°26′51″N 71°06′21″W / 42.44750°N 71.10583°W |
| Area | 2,283 acres (924 ha) |
| Established | 1893 |
| Management | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| - Park headquarters | Botume House, 4 Woodland Road, Stoneham |
  Location in Massachusetts
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| Website: Middlesex Fells Reservation | |
Middlesex Fells Reservation, often referred to simply as the Fells, is a public recreation area covering more than 2,200 acres (890 ha) in Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, and Winchester, Massachusetts. The state park surrounds two inactive reservoirs, Spot Pond and the Fells Reservoir, and the three active reservoirs (North, Middle, and South) supplying the town of Winchester. Spot Pond and the Fells Reservoir are part of the Wachusett water system, one of six primary water systems that feed metropolitan Boston's waterworks. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston.
The area around Middlesex Fells is known to have been explored by John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1632. The reservation's lands have been used for the production of timber, granite, and ice. Abundant water power meant that many mills, including one that manufactured some of the first vulcanized rubber products, were located here. Remnants of early mill works are visible in the Spot Pond Archeological District, located in the Virginia Woods section, the site of the former mill village of Haywardville.
The reservation was initiated in 1891 with the donation of Virginia Wood to The Trustees of Reservations by Fannie Tudor as a memorial to her daughter, Virginia, who had died in a horse riding accident in the forest. The property was later donated to the Metropolitan District Commission in 1923. In 1893, the state took the property over and began managing it as a state park.
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