Clay Pit Pond

Clay Pit Pond, also known as Claypit Pond, is a pond in the Boston suburb of Belmont in Middlesex County, Massachusetts situated between Concord Avenue and Belmont High School. It is a man-made pond, excavated as the source of clay for industrial brick-making on the site from 1888 to 1926. The pond was formed in 1933 when the Wellington Brook was redirected to flood the site, making it an essential part of the drainage system for much of Belmont.

Clay Pit Pond
Clay Pit Pond
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Location	Belmont, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°23′38″N 71°09′54″W
Primary inflows	Wellington Brook culvert
Primary outflows	Culvert to Blair Pond
Basin countries	United States
Islands	1

The Parry Brothers first opened a brickyard in the vicinity of the current pond in 1888. In 1900, nearly all brick making operations in Middlesex County were merged into the New England Brick Company,^[1] which acquired the site and increased production to 15 million bricks per year with a work force of 75.^[2] By 1926, the highest quality clay was exhausted and the site was abandoned, reportedly leaving behind an 1884 Marion steam shovel at the bottom of the pit.

The pond is inhabited by bluegill, common carp, and largemouth bass, among other species.

The Town of Belmont purchased the abandoned pit in 1927 for $22,500 to use as a waste dump site. However, in 1933, the Town diverted the Wellington Brook through a culvert to flood the site with 80 million gallons of water, creating the Clay Pit Pond.^[3]

In March 2010, the pond overflowed onto the road after two days of rain, closing down the adjacent high school.^[4]

In September 2020, several Belmont citizens illegally removed more than 80 trees and shrubs from the south side of Clay Pit Pond. The unauthorized deforestation of this protected wetland area has raised environmental concerns.^[5]

References

1. "Great Combine in Bricks", Cambridge Tribune, November 17, 1900
2. Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Belmont, Massachusetts Historical Commission, September 1980
3. Reppucci, Matthew. "Restoring the path around Clay Pit Pond". www.wickedlocal.com. Wicked Local. Archived from the original on 2024-08-05. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
4. Patrick Declares State Of Emergency As Rain Storm Continue Archived 2016-05-07 at the Wayback Machine. WBUR radio station, 15 March 2010. Archived at WebCite.
5. Judy Singler, Belmont Citizens Forum, 4 May 2021