King Oak Hill Park

0 Emery Ln, Weymouth, MA 02189, USA

Weymouth Parks/Trees/Grounds: (781) 337-5100

https://weymouthma.myrec.com/info/facilities/details.aspx?FacilityID=13103

Owned By: Town of Weymouth

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Weymouth’s King Oak Hill Park is a 24-acre hilltop with views of the Boston Skyline. Wheelchair- and stroller-friendly, it features a 0.25-mile paved walking loop and a shade pavilion. Located very close to Legion Memorial Field.

Features

This park was established in 2016 with support from Community Preservation Funds, as well as a Massachusetts PARC grant.

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 Mattakeeset band of the Massachusett, and the Massachusett tribe at Ponkapoag, both share information on their websites. 

Before European settlement of Weymouth, a junction within an important Native American trail network stood atop King Oak Hill. Both the Massachusett and Wampanoag tribes used these trails. The hill probably also served as a lookout for hunting.

As European settlement spread through Weymouth in the 17th and 18th centuries, the use of this hill became agricultural. In 1903, William H. Binnian constructed a Georgian Revival home on top of the hill. Allan C. Emery, a prominent wool merchant, became the owner in 1916. His family owned and farmed the estate for nearly a century, until the town purchased it in 2011.

The 1903 Georgian Revival Emery Estate (not open to the public), modeled after George Washington’s Mount Vernon, still stands on the property.

Two purple leaf plume trees stand in memory of police Sgt. Michael Chesna, 41, and Vera Adams, 77, a longtime teacher.

Trail Description

A 0.25-mile paved walking trail extends around the perimeter of the park.

Habitats and Wildlife

The grassy park sits atop a drumlin hill, formed by retreating glaciers. There are oak, maple, and birch trees around the perimeter, as well as some cedars. A stately row of cedars extends across the top of the hill.

The park is located within the watershed of the Fore River. The Fore River serves as the boundary line between the towns of Weymouth and Braintree. It flows for about 3 miles, into Quincy, where it meets Town River, and then flows for another 2 miles into Hingham Bay.