Nickerson State Park in Brewster on Cape Cod spans more than 1,900 acres of sandy woodlands and kettle ponds shaped by groundwater and precipitation, including Cliff Pond and a chain of smaller ponds. The land was once part of the estate of Samuel Mayo Nickerson, a Brewster native who prospered in Chicago and built Fieldstone Hall for his son Roland C. Nickerson in 1890. After family losses and deaths, Addie Nickerson donated the southern part of the estate in 1934 for a state forest park. It became the Commonwealth’s first state park and remains a major destination for camping and outdoor recreation.