Abijah Prince Pond is named for Abijah Prince. Lucy Terry Prince (1730-1821) was a freed literate and learned African woman, a writer, and orator, whose legal arguments swayed the Vermont Republic’s highest court.

In 1764, Lucy and her husband Abijah, a free black couple, settled in Guilford as one of Guilford’s first landowning settlers. There, they raised six children, created a gathering space for local slaves and freed people, and defended their rights as landowners against the vicious efforts of certain racist neighbors. The Prince family, and Lucy Terry in particular, left an indelible mark on the history and identity of Vermont. By the end of the 18th century, Guilford was the most popular town in Vermont and the Princes were one of its most prominent families.