Photos by Heather Lee for MetuchenLiving

Where’s the best location to go sledding in Metuchen? Tommy’s Pond of course!

Thomas Park or more commonly known in town as Tommy’s Pond was donated to the Borough of Metuchen in 1929 by the grandchildren of David Graham Thomas. This beautiful 1.8 acre property includes a 0.4 acre pond. The pond complements the Borough’s other surface water features, including two brooks and 10 acres of wetlands. Despite their relatively small size, the park and natural pond provide recreational opportunities, such as an annual fishing derby, a Halloween pumpkin float (though we think they only did this once. We say bring this back!), winter ice skating and sleigh riding, year round observation of duck life, and benches for reading and quiet rest.

Remembers Ellen Liebson Porges – “In the early to mid 1960s we always went sledding at Tommy’s Pond in Metuchen and brought along a thermos with hot cocoa. As we got older we went to the hill in front of the hospital at Roosevelt Park in Edison. We also ice skated on both Tommy’s Pond and Roosevelt Park Lake. I can still remember they had a system at Roosevelt Park Lake where they would hang a ball of one color or another to designate whether or not the ice was strong enough to skate.”

Grants from Green Acres and Middlesex County Urban Forestry Advisory Committee, along with funding from the Borough Council and landscape design support by Rutgers University faculty and students, have been used to develop a long-term management plan for the park. The pond has been made deeper, an aerator/fountain installed, and many plantings added. Several community and civic groups, led by the Environmental Commission, have participated in these efforts. Future plans include the installation of a biofilter to continue to improve water quality and a connection from this peaceful place to the Greenway.

Photos by Heather Lee














Tommy’s Pond in the 50’s