Pond and Bridge Restoration Project Form

PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The slow deterioration of the bridge and pond
is no one’s fault. The passage of time and
whims of nature have taken their toll.
However, the damage can be stopped and
reversed with your help.
The fundraising part of the project is
underway. Although we don't have a complete
estimate on how much will be required, the
draining and dredging of the pond, the
restoration of the bridge, and finally the refilling
of the pond will require a considerable sum of
time and money.
The Three Arch Bridge has stood for a hundred
years and with your help can stand for a
hundred more. Make a donation now or
pledge an amount for the future.
A Hidden Treasure in Newburyport
Frederick Strong Moseley, born in 1852, was a
broker in Boston and a director of the Shawmut
Bank there. He was also a member of the Arnold
Arboretum Advisory Board. On the death of his
father Edward in 1900, he and his siblings
inherited a considerable estate. Frederick
proceeded to acquire and improve the
Newburyport property, consulting and hiring the
best landscape architects in Massachusetts.
Originally named Maudesleigh, the 480 acre estate
was created on agricultural fields by landscape
architect Martha Brookes Hutcheson, one of the
earliest female members of the American Society
of Landscape Architects, who designed the
grounds around the main house, entry drive, and
formal gardens (1904–1906). Lord and Burnham
designed various of the greenhouses.
MAUDSLAY STATE PARK
ASSOCIATION
William G. Rantoul, of the Boston firm Jacques and
Rantoul, served as the estate's principal architect,
creating most of the original architecture in the
years 1895-1910.
On the death of the Moseleys the family had the
main house torn down and in1978 Helen's house
was destroyed by fire. After these events, the
landscape received considerably less intensive
management, although the family retained a crew
to do mowing. The property was acquired in 1985
by the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Management (DEM) and became
Maudslay State Park.
The Maudslay State Park Association is a registered 501(c)(3)
organization in Massachusetts. Donations are tax deductible as
allowable by law.
The park features 19th century gardens and
plantings, rolling meadows, towering pines, and
one of the largest naturally-occurring stands of
mountain laurel in Massachusetts. An exquisite
place for walking, biking, horseback riding and
informal picnics.
74 CURZON MILL ROAD
NEWBURYPORT, MA
01950
BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
I would like to make a monetary donation in the
amount of:
______ $500.00
______ $250.00
______ $100.00
______ $50.00
_____ Other $ ____________
Donation is made in the name of
__________________________________________
Built as a means to cross the Flowering Reflection Pond, the bridge carries the Main Carriage Road as it
connects the Pasture Trail to the Castle Hill Trail. Constructed of stonework, it carries a road bed of
gravel. An arch bridge is one of the strongest construction methods. Arch bridges work by transferring the
weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either
side of the arch. The ancient Etruscans, Greeks and Romans used this method to construct bridges and
viaducts, many of which are still in existence today. With a little thoughtful care, the three arch bridge
has the potential to delight park users for generations to come.
CREATING A HEALTHY POND
Eutrophication is the technical term for what afflicts the pond. Winter runoff and flooding rains have
carried sediment and nutrients into the pond and this promotes excessive plant growth and decay,
favoring simple algae and plankton over other more complicated plants, and causes a severe reduction in
water quality. Enhanced growth of aquatic vegetation and algae disrupts normal functioning of the
ecosystem, causing a variety of problems such as a lack of oxygen needed for fish to survive. The water
becomes cloudy, typically colored a shade of green, yellow, brown, or red.
The pond is also clogged with other debris. Downed trees and limbs litter the pond edge and bottom of
the pond, further enhancing the heightened nutrient levels.
______ I would like the donation to remain
anonymous
Name _____________________________________
Address ___________________________________
City _____________________________________
State/Zip _____________________________
Make Checks Payable to :
MAUDSLAY STATE PARK ASSOC.
Mail to : 74 CURZON MILL RD.,
NEWBURYPORT, MA 01950
Probably one of the most recognized and most
photographed spots in the Park, the Bridge is
sadly in need of repair and restoration. Before
this can be accomplished, the pond must be
drained and dredged and the missing
stonework retrieved and cleaned.
You can't tell by looking at it now, but it
originally had a white sand bottom and was
home to koi fish and turtles. A few turtles
remain, but the white sands and koi are
gone. The pond is choked with weeds and
fallen trees, a sad reflection of it's former
glory.