“A landscape loved to death.” That’s how some describe Fresh Pond Reservation. But don’t let that deter you. It’s a landscape that has been changed by its many uses. It is a place to which Cantabridgeans and Bostonians have felt an intense attachment.
Fresh Pond is more than just a pretty park. It is a vital part of Cambridge. It supplies the city with fresh drinking water.
Let’s journey back 15,000 years. The Ice Age retreated and carved out this natural lake. Native Americans hunted and fished here for thousands of years. Colonists later harvested hay and hunted ducks here.
In the 18th century, settlers started farms near Fresh Pond. Jacob Wyeth built the Fresh Pond Hotel in 1796. It offered bowling, food, wine, and even impromptu performances by Harvard men. Imagine wealthy Bostonians retreating here in the summer.
The 19th century brought big changes. Entrepreneurs began cutting ice from Fresh Pond in the 1820s. Frederic Tudor, Boston’s “Ice King,” shipped ice as far as Europe, China, and India.
The Charlestown Branch Railroad expanded. It connected Fresh Pond icehouses to wharves. The first ice shipment happened in December 1841.
In 1856, a private company began supplying drinking water from the Pond. The city took ownership in 1865. By the end of the century, Cambridge owned the Pond. An elaborate public water supply system was developed.
Today, Fresh Pond is part of the Cambridge water system. Water flows here from the Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook Reservoirs. The Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility purifies the water. Then it is pumped to the Payson Park Reservoir. From there, gravity brings drinking water to Cambridge homes and businesses.
Fresh Pond Reservation includes a 155-acre kettle hole lake. It has 162 acres of surrounding land. A 2.25-mile perimeter road is popular for walkers, runners, and cyclists. There is even a nine-hole golf course.
Fresh Pond Parkway borders the Pond. Charles Eliot designed the parkway. It connects Fresh Pond to the Charles River Reservation.
Fresh Pond has seen many shifts. Public attitudes toward nature have changed. Is it brutal wilderness or in need of protection? Water is now seen as a precious commodity.
Fresh Pond is a place of recreation and natural beauty. It is a place where you can reflect on the past. It is a place where you can appreciate the present. It is a place that reminds us of our relationship with the landscape. Take a moment to appreciate Fresh Pond.