10/19/2026
Doane’s Falls, Royalston. 10.19.26
The cascades take their name from Amos Doane, an entrepreneurial local figure who purchased the land in the early 19th century and built a massive, four-story mill right above the gorge to manufacture doors, sashes, and blinds. Long after Doane’s venture folded, the land was acquired by a man named Edward Bragg, who envisioned building a massive hydroelectric power network on the site and spent years assembling over 1,600 acres in the area. While Bragg’s modern industrial dream was never ultimately realized, his descendants went on to sell the beautiful land to The Trustees of Reservations in 1959. Today, the old mills are long gone, but you can still spot the historic stone foundations as you hike along the roaring waters of Lawrence Brook!
Canon R6
