Foundry Pond - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

Owned By: Town of Hingham

The 32-acre Foundry Pond property in Hingham features a small pond, a marsh and an abandoned quarry at a scenic spot on the Weir River. There are 0.77 miles of trails. In the spring, look for river herring at the fish ladder, swimming upstream.

Seasonal hunting is permitted on this property, with a town-issued permit. Hunting is prohibited on Sundays. See the hunting pages on Hingham’s website for details.

FISHING ADVISORY: It’s important to know that some of our freshwater fisheries are contaminated with mercury, PFAS and/or other concerning substances. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health maintains an online database with up-to-date advisories regarding fish consumption, sorted by location. We recommend you consult this valuable resource when planning a fishing excursion.

Features

Foundry Pond was created when the Weir River was dammed in the late 1700s. The Hingham Malleable Iron Company (1840-1876) and Colonel Weston’s wool processing factory (until 1888) were both located here, but they each were destroyed by fire. Later, The Sportsmen’s Club acquired the property, and in time, sold it to the Town of Hingham.

Spring turkey and fall deer bow hunting are allowed, by Special Permit only, through the Hingham Conservation Commission.

Across Rockland Street, check out Amonte Meadow (3.3 acres), a small conservation parcel on the Weir River with grassy areas, wetlands, and a stand of Tupelo trees.

This land is within the region of the Massachusett (or Massachuseuk). To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Massachusett tribe at Ponkapoag and the Mattakeeset band of the Massachusett share information on their websites.

Trail Description

There is a very short trail at the Kilby Street entrance, where you can cross a small wooden bridge over the spillway and get up-close views of the dam, and possibly of migrating fish as well (in season). This entrance puts you directly on the dam itself, so it’s a very short walk to the water.

The Weir Street entrance features 0.77 miles of woodland trails, both wide and narrow, that lead to Foundry Pond, and to a spot where you can view the fish ladder.

Habitats and Wildlife

Both Native Americans and colonists used weirs to catch herring here, and that’s how the river got its name. The herring run is impacted by upstream water withdrawals that lower streamflow in the summer and fall when juvenile herring are migrating downstream. Like many fish ladders that were placed on old dams, this one is not ideal for fish passage.

Some of the fish that might be found at Foundry Pond include river herring, smelt, brown trout (stocked from Europe), brook trout, largemouth bass, red fin pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish and American eel. Mass Wildlife stocks the Weir River with brown and Eastern Brook trout.

The forest here is composed of pine, oak and cedar, plus some bittersweet and holly. There is also marshland, with plenty of cattails. Deer hunting is permitted on this property from October 19 to November 28, but only with a Special Permit from the Hingham Conservation Commission.

Foundry Pond was created by a dam on the Weir River. Formed at the confluence of Crooked Meadow River and Fulling Mill Brook, the Weir River flows north through Hingham, with Tower Brook and Accord Brook joining it in its first mile. It gradually turns northeast and flows for another 1.4 miles, through Weir River Farm and eventually into Foundry Pond. The Weir River Estuary, designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Area of Critical Concern, begins just below the manmade dam at the pond. The mile-wide estuary forms the border between Hingham and Hull, and empties into Hingham Bay. For more information about the Weir River, follow the Weir River Watershed Association.