In the 18th century, workers deepened the outlet of the lake to draw the water down in order to extract
bog iron for the smelting industry. Lake Massapoag was the site of a large 19th-century ice business, with an enormous wooden
icehouse at the eastern end of the lake. Because of the lake and the fact that Sharon is at a slightly higher elevation than the surrounding towns, and because it is located on the main rail line going south from Boston, the shores of the lake developed into a minor summer resort with several large
hotels,
summer camps and
cottage colonies. Temple Adath Sharon was built as a summer synagogue, and the houses around it, now occupied year-round, were once summer cottages. ==Recreation==