The park was established in 1933 on the site of a former grist mill that had served South Natick since colonial times. The millstones embedded in the paved area come from that mill.

The park is adjacent to the Charles River’s dam, and is a popular spot for visitors, both human and animal. The island in the middle of the river is named for Horace Holyoke, one of the characters from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Old Town Folks;” the character is based on her husband, South Natick native Calvin Stowe.