The Neponset Reservoir Company was incorporated on February 18, 1845 “for the purpose of constructing and maintaining a reservoir by the erection of a dam across the Neponset River.”  It was formed by a group of companies that ran mills along the Neponset River.  They cut down trees in five cedar swamps and flooded the swamps to form the Reservoir (a reservoir to store water for industrial use in the Mills downstream rather than drinking water supply).  They built the dam that is standing today and dredged the area around the dam. 

By the 1920s, the Reservoir began a rich history of recreation over 50 years, supporting two marinas, a water skiing club, and a Boy Scout camp.  There are currently over 90 acres of conservation land on the western part of the Reservoir (the Lane Property) with trail access from the North, Messinger, Munroe, Chestnut, and Payson roadways.  There is also a small public park – Kersey Point – at the end of Kersey Road.  The Reservoir is a habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including swans, ducks, mergansers, geese, herons, cranes, turtles, beavers, muskrats, and various species of fish. Sightings of eagles and loons have also been reported.

The Lane Homestead was purchased by Foxborough in 1988 from the estate of Clifford and Edith Lane. Combined with adjoining conservation parcels, the area contains 90+/- acres of preserved open space on Neponset Reservoir, with 1.5 miles of shoreline, 3 hay fields, forests, two sandy lakefront peninsulas, Blueberry Island, and the dam.

Lane Learning Center opened in 2017. It was the brainchild of the Friends of Foxboro Conservation, who initiated the project after receiving a grant from Schneider Electric. This environmental education project soon morphed into an enthusiastic community project, built by Foxborough volunteers including members of the Friends group, contractors, craftspeople, Schneider employees, DPW, Scouts, and contractors.

The All Person’s Trail is a wheelchair-accessible path between the parking lot and a large deck overlooking Crack Rock Pond. Through the clear sections of the deck’s railing, visitors can observe the pond’s wide variety of wildlife, such as otters, great blue herons, orioles, kingfishers, bluebirds, frogs, and turtles.

The Story Book Trail, which begins at the parking lot, follows an old dirt road through a peaceful pine forest and along the Neponset Reservoir before it circles back via a woodland trail to its start.

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike at the Neponset Reservoir.