Allen Pond Park
| Allen Pond Park | |
|---|---|
 The Allen Pond Gazebo | |
 | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Bowie, Maryland |
| Coordinates | 38°56′5.5″N 76°44′24″W / 38.934861°N 76.74000°W |
| Area | 85 acres (34 ha) |
| Founder | James Allen[1] |
| Managed by | City of Bowie, Maryland |
| Open | All year |
Allen Pond Park is an 85-acre (340,000 m2) multi-use park located in Bowie, Maryland and is part of the Prince George's County Parks and Recreation Department. The park includes an Ice Arena, Amphitheater, boat rentals, Skate Park, 10-acre (40,000 m2) stocked pond, six lighted ballfields, picnic areas and pavilions, walking and biking trails, a lighted basketball court, fitness station and several playground areas. It is also the home of Opportunity Park, which offers 100% accessible experiences at its tot lot, school-aged playground, fitness cluster and fishing.[2] The park has a 39% total wood coverage, with the pond occupying 12% of the park.
Allen Pond
Allen Pond is a ten-acre man-made lake and the centerpiece of this eponymous park. It drains into Collington Branch.[3]
Bass and crappie are frequently taken from the pond.[4] In 1993, several reports of Piranhas being caught in Allen Pond surfaced.[5] At least one was in excess of 11 inches long.[5]
History
The pond and surrounding area was owned by a farmer, James Allen.[1] He and his family raised cattle and tobacco on the property. Allen established the pond as a fishing attraction and sold access as annual shares for ten dollars.[1] The land including the pond was sold to Levitt & Sons, the developer of Belair at Bowie, in 1965 with Allen making a request that the pond and surrounding area become a park for the community.[1]
The Robert V. Setera Amphitheater was built on the grounds in the late 1960s.[6]
See also
External links
References
- ^ a b c d Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, P.C. (May 2010). "Allen Pond Park Master Plan". City of Bowie, Maryland. p. 7. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
- ^ "City of Bowie - Allen Pond Park". Retrieved 8 October 2013.
- ^ "City of Bowie Environmental Infrastructure Action Strategy Plan Staff Findings and Recommendations By Sub-watershed". City of Bowie. p. 38. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ^ Freed, Martin; Vaskys, Ruta (2008). Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D. C.: An Angler's Guide to More Than 100 Fresh and Saltwater Fishing Spots. Lyons Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-0762744459. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ^ a b "Piranha surfaces in Bowie: Flesh-eater caught in pond". Baltimore Sun. 13 May 1993. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ^ Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, P.C. (May 2010). "Allen Pond Park Master Plan". City of Bowie, Maryland. p. 15. Retrieved 8 October 2013.