 Silver Lake State Park, encompassing the northern shoreline of Silver Lake, was established in 1955 when some land with shore frontage was donated to the state by John McDill of Woodstock, Margaret Crosby of Barnard, and Richard H. Field of Boston.Silver Lake had originally been called Stebbings' Pond after Benjamin Stebbings who owned land at the outlet where the village now stands.Later the lake became known as Barnard Pond.