Chandler Pond was excavated by local horticulturist William C. Strong. Strong, who was extremely knowledgeable on the propagation of fruit-bearing trees, was at one time the president of the Massachusetts Horticulturist Society. Strong was also an entrepreneur and he excavated Chandler Pond for ice-making purposes. In the days before refrigeration, as we now know it, ice was harvested in large blocks from ponds and other bodies of water. Kept insulated, the ice was preserved for all-year for delivery to residential and commercial customers with ice boxes for cold food storage. Strong created other bodies of water as well, but Chandler’s Pond is, for all practical purposes, the last survivor of nearly twenty ponds that once dotted Allston-Brighton.

Located within Gallagher Memorial Park, this urban pond is a watering hole for swans, Canada geese, herons, and rabbits. A pleasant walk around two-thirds of the pond takes you through the small park and along Lake Shore Road.

The pond is fed by Dana Brook, which flows from Newton.