This chimney is a short distance from the bird watching trails in Mendon Ponds Park. There are some foundation remains nearby and some barb wire, so I am assuming that this used to be part of a farm house before the county purchased the land to make into a county park.
Just speculation here, but I believe the dog in the picture kicked over a lantern in the nearby barn causing a fire that destroyed the barn and farm house. Bad dog!
There is a cache nearby