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Avoid Marsh Madness!
We are dedicated to the protection, preservation, and environmental stewardship of Scarritts Mill Pond, its dam structure, and surrounding natural habitat in West Hartford, Connecticut. Through conservation initiatives, community education, and habitat restoration, we aim to maintain the pond’s historical significance, promote biodiversity, and foster public appreciation for this unique ecological resource.
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History and Significance of Scarritt's Mill Pond
Scarrit’s Mill Pond is the oldest historic site in the town of West Hartford. It dates back to 1679, when the first settler in the area, Stephen Hosmer, built a dam to power West Hartford’s first corn grist mill on the Noyes River, now known as Trout Brook. A saw mill also operated further west along the brook. Subsequent property owners operated a feed and grain mill until 1901. The property was then sold to the Trout Brook Ice and Fuel company which harvested ice from the Pond until 1929.
Portions of an older dam remain visible beneath the current reconstructed dam, providing a direct physical link to the town’s beginnings. Called the West Division of Hartford, the State Legislature named it West Hartford in 1806. In 1854 it became a town. This site is significant as one of the earliest industrial locations in West Hartford. Hosmer’s mills served as a focal point for early settlement, shaping the development of roads, agriculture and community activity along Trout Brook and Main Street.
Today, 347 years later, a neighborhood association formed in 1950 is dedicated to the on-going preservation and conservation of the pond and dam. Through the centuries, the pond evolved into an important wetland supporting an array of wildlife including geese, ducks, herons, beavers, turtles and fish.
The last dredging of the pond occurred in 1982, but over the ensuing years, it began to fill in with silt and invasive species. The association looked into hiring a dredging firm but the costs were prohibitive for an all-volunteer association. In 2025 after extensive research, a Board member found an alternative, and TryMarine was hired for a 3 year remediation project.
Unfortunately, the association has reached the limits of what they can do simply using member dues and contributions.
An application to the IRS was submitted and subsequently approved in February, 2026 to create a 501(c)(3), the Friends of Scarritt’s Mill. We will seek grant funding for the growing costs of remediating, conserving and maintaining the Pond’s ecosystem and dam.
The Town of West Hartford has spent significant resources developing the areas adjacent to Trout Brook, providing bike and pedestrian paths and the beautiful waterway that flows through large sections of the town. As Trout Brook flows directly into Scarritt’s Mill Pond from the west, over the dam and out to the east under the bridge on Main Street, Friends of Scarritt's Mill is committed to the conservation of the pond, dam and
waterway.
Our sole purpose as Friends of Scarritt's Mill is to maintain and preserve this ecosystem and highlight the historical significance of this site in the formation of West Hartford.
Highlights:
The neighborhood association maintained the pond and the dam to the best of their abilities, which has included performing the required dam inspections every 5 years.
1982 - neighbors contributed to remove 4500 cu yards of material by dredging.
1980s through 2004 - Annual Cleanup Days maintained the pond's edge, cleared developing islands, repaired fencing and the bench, cut trees, and cleared the pond interior using boats.
2006/7 - WWA University of Hartford performed a study, the Wyndwood Pond Project, to propose better ways to maintain the pond and dam. Unfortunately, these solutions were all too costly for the Association.
Mid-2000s to 2025 - mostly used herbicides and fungicides to try to control silting.
2025 - discovered a much more affordable treatment, TryMarine, that could permanently reduce the silting and fully remediate the pond. A 3 year program began with donations from the neighborhood. The 1st year of treatment was a great success with clearer water, more fish, and 6” of depth gained.
2026 - TryMarine treatment has continued late spring through the summer, again with donations from the surrounding local neighbors.
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