Lenox Mountain, Perry’s Peak and surrounding area and Richmond Pond are listed as the top natural resources in town in terms of open space, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. Last year, a group of volunteers published a spectacular book titled “The Gem of Richmond: A History of Richmond Pond,” the 218 acres of water that straddles the Richmond/Pittsfield line.
Edited by Ken Kelly, the 160-page book is packed with contemporary and historical photos in color and black and white, along with extensive text about everything from the days when harvesting ice was a pond industry to the recent year the pond hosted part of the Josh Billings race.
The editorial group worked several years producing the book, and the first printing of more than 300 copies sold out within a week of the launch. Home to camps, a boat ramp, many year-round homes and seasonal cottages, the town beach and a nesting eagle, the pond is a gem. And so is the book.
The book is available for $20 at Bartlett's Orchard, Balderdash Cellars Winery, Shaker Mill Books, and The Bookstore (in Lenox). All sale proceeds go to the Richmond Pond Association. Learn more about the pond and the association here.