Jamaica Pond Information & Jamaica Pond Links at HealthHaven.com

Jamaica Pond, boathouse in distance, 2005

Skating on Jamaica Pond, 1859

Jamaica Pond is a kettle pond, part of the Emerald Necklace of parks in Boston designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The pond and park are in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, close to the border of Brookline. It is the source of the Muddy River, which drains into the lower Charles River.^{USGS 2005}

The pond has an area of about 68 acres (28 ha), and is 53 feet (16 m) deep at its center (MassWildlife map), making it the largest body of fresh water in Boston, and the largest natural freshwater body in the lower Charles River watershed. It is ringed by a walking path, and is an extremely popular destination for Bostonians for walking, fishing, and sailing.

The pond once served as a reservoir for the City of Boston and the Town of West Roxbury, and supplied ice in the winter to Boston and beyond.

According to the USGS, the name Jamaica derives from an Indian name meaning "abundance of beavers".^[1]

Overlooking Jamaica Pond until its 2007 demolition was Pinebank Mansion, the summer home of Edward Newton Perkins.

[edit] References

^ USGS GNIS: Jamaica Pond

Water resources and the urban environment, lower Charles River Watershed; ISBN 1428983651
Water Resources and the Urban Environment, Lower Charles River Watershed, Massachusetts, 1630–2005;

By Peter K. Weiskel, Lora K. Barlow and Tomas W. Smieszek; Circular 1280 USGS 2005

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 42°19′0″N 71°7′13″W / 42.316667°N 71.12028°W / 42.316667; -71.12028

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[0] USGS GNIS: Jamaica Pond

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