Watershops Pond as an outdoor classroom (August 20, 1965)

In 1809, Lake Massasoit was formed by the army by damming the Mill River. The purpose of the dam was to ensure a constant flow of water downstream for the Springfield Armory “Watershops.” The Springfield Armory was America’s first and last National Armory, formed in 1777 and continuing production up until 1968. The formerly named Watershops Pond has 7 miles of shoreline and covers 186 acres. From 1892-1900, the buildings of Springfield College began to come about, and the name was changed to Lake Massasoit by Springfield College officials. The name came from a local hotel, the Massasoit House, owned by Marvin Chapin, a generous benefactor of the college. In 1920, the college purchased a large area of land on the upper end of the pond, and called it the “Freshman Camp.” Since the college was formed, students, faculty and visitors have used the Pond for sailing, swimming, ice skating and fishing. However, the lake was officially closed for swimming in 1984 when the lake was said to be unhealthy. Dr. Britton C. McCabe (December 21, 1901—October 9, 1968) was born in Toronto, Canada. He earned his BS from Springfield College in 1927, his MS from New York University in 1931, and his Ph.D. from Cornell in 1942. McCabe joined the Springfield faculty as a professor of biology in 1930 and served as department chair from 1945 to 1963. One of his contributions to the department was developing curriculum for incorporating Massasoit Lake as an outdoor classroom. McCabe was a former trustee and deacon of Hope Congregational Church, a member of the American Fisheries Society, and a member of the Society of Ichthyology and Herpetology of North America. He posthumously received a Tarbell Medallion from Springfield College.

A proposal written by Springfield College professor of Biology Britton C. McCabe on August 20, 1965, asking if Lake Massasoit can be utilized as a classroom for students at Springfield College. It was proposed that the geography of the pond made it suitable for studying ecological problems.