Island Grove Park

Island Grove Park is a municipal park of the town of Abington, Massachusetts, United States. It consists of a 17-acre (6.9 ha) parcel of land whose principal feature is a peninsula jutting into Island Grove Pond, a 35-acre (14 ha) body of water which was created by impounding the Shumatuscacant River in c. 1700. The area has a significant history, first as land inhabited by Native Americans, then as an industrial site, a cemetery (northwest corner), an amusement park, as well as a site of social reform activism^[2] before it became the wooded park it is now.^[3] The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 as the Island Grove Park National Register District.^[1]

Island Grove Park National Register District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Entrance to Island Grove Park
Location	Abington, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°6′46″N 70°51′40″W / 42.11278°N 70.86111°W
Area	53 acres (21 ha)
Architect	Olmsted Brothers; Pratt, Bela
Architectural style	Beaux Arts, Bungalow/Craftsman
NRHP reference No.	02000127 [1]
Added to NRHP	March 6, 2002

Abolitionist History

In the mid-ninetheenth century, Island Grove was a center of abolitionist organizing and activism.^[4] The first open air anti-slavery picnic (or rally) happened on August 1, 1846 and was led by William Lloyd Garrison.^[5] The opening of the Old Colony Line to Plymouth in November 1845 in what is now North Abington enabled supporters to attend picnics at Island Grove. "Frequently, though not always, the railroads ran special trains at excursion rates, often as low as fifty cents for the round trip adults and twenty-five cents for children, from Boston or Worcester to Framingham and from Boston or Plymouth to Abington."^[6] While these picnics were well attended, many Abington residents vehemently opposed anti-slavery activities and would attempt to disrupt these gatherings. The Liberator reports one instance where William Lloyd Garrison hid in a load of hay to escape a violent mob.^[2]

The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and other anti-slavery groups organized these picnics on August 1 in honor of Emancipation Day. Picnics were also held on the Fourth of July, which Garrison denounced "as a hypocritical celebration of universal liberty that did not, and never had existed."^[2] Island Grove in Abington (from 1846) and Harmony Grove in Framingham (from 1852) "were favorite picnic grounds on account of their beauty and because the train service made them easily accessible."^[6] The picnics at Island Grove and elsewhere in Massachusetts were characterized by speeches, the reading of the Bible, the singing anti-slavery songs, the election of anti-slavery organization officers, the adoption of resolutions, fundraising, as well as socializing and community building.^[6] The Island Grove picnics drew many of the most prominent leaders and speakers of the abolitionist movement.^[2][7] Crowds at Island Grove heard from White and Black American abolitionists, including those who had escaped enslavement. “The final abolition-related meeting at Island Grove was held on July 27, 1865, when well over 1,000 citizens gathered to welcome and honor Abington’s returning Civil War soldiers.”.^[2]

The following Black American male and female abolitionists spoke at Island Grove between 1846-1865: • Henry “Box” Brown^[8][7] • William Wells Brown^[9][2][7] • Ellen Craft^[8][7] • William Craft^[8][7] • Hezekiah Ford Douglas^[10] • Francis Ellen Watkins Harper^[11][7] • William A. Jackson^[12] • Charles Lenox Remond^[13][7] • John S. Rock.^[14][7]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Plymouth County, Massachusetts