Richmond Pond
Richmond Pond was formed as a small 98 acre body of water that was scraped from the bedrock by glaciers thousands of years ago. Four tributaries brought fresh mountain water into the pond which was also spring fed.
A natural outlet on the northern side of the pond flowed into the Southwest Branch of the Housatonic River. Charles Goodrich was the original owner of the Pond and the land near the outlet. By 1768 sawmills, grist mills and fulling mills began to be erected on the river. One of these was the Fulling Mill of Valentine Rathbun.
In 1803 Daniel Stearns purchased the Rathbun mill and began the period of growth that led to Stearnsville, Barkerville, Tillotsons and the Shaker Grist Mill.
The mill owners and the Shakers acted as partners rather than competitors, and in 1838, 1864 and 1876 built new dams and outlets at the pond. They also worked together to repair the dam when storms caused damage.
The water level was raised by 9 feet which increased the power available and provided reserves in times of low water levels. Thus a small 98 acre glacial pond was increased in size to a reservoir of 218 acres with a depth of fifty-three feet.
The Barker family purchased the 135 acre site around the outlet in 1832. The family made many improvements to their mill and maintained the outlet and dam.
After their bankruptcy in 1890, ownership eventually went to the Barkerville Realty Trust managed by two local men: Owen Coogan and Frank Pierson. Mr. Pierson was a Boy Scout leader and the land was used for a summer camp for the Scouts from 1916-1929. Local Girl Scouts also used the camp.
In 1933 the Realty Trust sold the land, including the outlet and dam, to Sarah Moss of New York City. She opened Camp Allegro, a Jewish summer camp for girls ages 5-14. The camp opened in 1934 and many improvements were made to the buildings and to the dam. The major work on the dam was in 1950 when two storms struck the area and the dam was breached. The water level in Richmond Pond dropped three to four feet overnight and there was flooding down river. In 1977 the property was sold to the Northeast Baptist Conference which founded the Lakeside Christian Camp in 1980. The owners erected many new buildings and the infrastructure to remain open year round. Summer camping continued and there were retreats available for many different congregations. The camp was open for 40 years but finally closed in April, 2020.
The Mills of Pittsfield 