Redd’s Pond is a pond in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It was named after Salem Witch Trials victim Wilmot Redd. At the time of her arrest in 1692, Redd lived in a small house near the southeast corner of the pond.
Located on Pond Street, the pond is a 1.8-acre park that is not only historic but also recreational, offering ice skating in the winter and model boat racing in the summer.
Local legend states that the pond is bottomless but in actuality, it is between three and 11 feet deep. It is a natural pond and was originally used for drinking water and as a water supply for the fire department.
On May 15, 1877, the town voted in favor of appropriating $10,000 to convert the pond into a fire reservoir and lay water-pipes with hydrants throughout the town in case of a fire.
The reservoir was unfortunately not built in time to save the town from a devastating fire only a month later on June 25, 1877. The fire destroyed 76 buildings in total including the Eastern Railroad Depot and the South Church.
In the late 1890s, locals began racing model boats on the pond, a practice which continues today.
In 1934, a stone wall and paved walkway were constructed at the pond.
In 1965, the large red barn that houses Redd’s Pond Boat Works was given to Lincoln Hawkes by John Libbey with the stipulation that it be moved from the Libbey land adjoining the pond.
Since the barn was too large to move through the small streets of the town, Hawkes floated the barn across Redd’s Pond and erected it on the other side on April 9, 1965, as a crowd of spectators watched.
The walkway around the pond has fallen into disrepair in recent years, with many cracks and potholes, and residents frequently complain about the difficulty of walking on the path.
At least two elderly and mobility-impaired visitors injured themselves on the path in the past recent years, according to news reports, and one of them even fell directly into the pond when his mobility scooter hit a crack in the pavement.
In August of 2023, the Board of Health issued a public health advisory for the pond due to an outbreak of blue-green algae in the pond.
In May of 2024, the Select Board awarded an $87,500 contract to a company from Foxborough for the development of an accessibility-improvement plan for the pond.
The pond is located near the foot of the historic Old Burial Hill cemetery.
Sources:
Roads, Samuel. The History and Traditions of Marblehead. Houghton, Osgood and Company, 1880.
Wright, John Hardy. Marblehead Volume I. Arcadia, 1996.
Marblehead Reconnaissance Report. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
“Link Hawkes Moving barn across Redd’s Pond.” Marblehead Historical Commission, marbleheadhistory.pastperfectonline.com/Photo/4D212775-4057-4AEA-B2EF-277847765926
Vermette, Ryan. “Renovations coming for town ‘treasure.’” Marblehead Weekly News, 29 May. 2024, marbleheadweeklynews.com/select-board-oks-contracts-for-redds-pond/
Dowd, Will. “Marblehead resident irked by ongoing state of Redd’s Pond sidewalks.” Marblehead Current, 29 Sept. 2022, marbleheadcurrent.org/2022/09/29/marblehead-resident-irked-by-ongoing-state-of-redds-pond-sidewalks/
Blander, Leigh. “What’s happening with Marblehead’s Redd’s Pond?” Wicked Local, 22 Sept. 2021, wickedlocal.com/story/marblehead-reporter/2021/09/22/whats-happening-marbleheads-redds-pond/8315331002/
“’Hidden’ Town Jewels.” Town of Marblehead Massachusetts, marblehead.org/about-marblehead/pages/hidden-town-jewels