Town Pound

Built by Old Sturbridge Village in 1955

In farming communities, disputes inevitably arose when one person’s livestock damaged another person’s crops. New England laws required farmers to fence their fields and keep farm animals from straying. Owners had to pay a fine to a town-appointed pound keeper to recover stray animals and were liable for any damage the animals had done. The large stone Town Pound is a reproduction. Most pounds were not as substantial —many were simple wooden pens.