The President's Pond, past and present

The President's Pond seen from the east.

The updated design, developed by University landscape architect Mark Novak, added a small brick-lined plaza made of decomposed granite around the south, east and north sides of the pond, with cement footings for commemorative benches that will be added later. Additionally, a spillway made of water-permeable pavers is being installed for the occasional pond overflow. The project includes a more defined perimeter that uses bark mulch and specially selected trees and shrubs. (Photo by Chris Richards/University Communications)
1 of 18

Couple play around the President's Pond. c. 1954.

A man and a woman balance on the volcanic stone lip of the pond. The photo was taken in the 1950s. (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
2 of 18

One of the many turtles that lives in the President's Pond. Most are believed to be varieties of box turtle that were either abandoned pets, or were born wild to formerly domesticated turtles.

One of the many turtles that lives in the President's Pond takes a swim. Most are believed to be varieties of box turtle that were either abandoned pets, or were born wild to formerly domesticated turtles. (Photo by Chris Richards/University Communications)
3 of 18

The "President's Pond" under construction in 1933

This photo shows the excavation that created the President's Pond in 1933. The feature sat on the west lawn of the official residence. Victorian-style lampposts like the one on the left still sit along Park Avenue. The single-story residences and other buildings in the background are gone. (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
4 of 18

A view of the President's Pond from a drone.

Built in 1934, the pond and surrounding garden once sat on the property of a Queen Anne-style home that served as the official residence of the university president from 1894 until it was razed in 1937 to make way for Gila Hall just to the east. (Photo by Arlene Islas/University Communications)
5 of 18

Students chat beside the pond in this 1941 photo. (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
6 of 18

A trio of turtles gather on a raft in the President's Pond.

Currently home to at least a dozen box turtles, the President's Pond has also held koi and other fish over the years. It occasionally attracts blue heron and other aquatic birds that have lost their way while migrating. (Photo by Chris Richards/University Communications)
7 of 18

This 1933 photo shows a closer look at the pond under construction. (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
8 of 18

1. The turtles in the President's Pond are not cared for by University of Arizona employees. They subsist on whatever food they can find in their surroundings, or on donations from visitors to the pond. (Photo by Chris Richards/University Communications)
9 of 18

Photo from the north end of the pond, looking southeast.

This undated photo shows the view from the north end of the pond, looking southeast toward North Campus Drive (now James E. Rogers Way). (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
10 of 18

The turtle population in the President's Pond varies depending on the season and the amount of available food. People walking near the pond sometimes find the turtles wandering along Park Avenue or along the Olive Walk just inside the volcanic rock wall. (Photo by Chris Richards/University Communications)
11 of 18

Historic photo of the "President's Pond" seen from the south.

This undated photo shows the President's Pond as seen from the south. The stone house in the background was built by professor of geology William Phipps Blake in 1894 at a cost of $16,000. Compare that with the $25,000 appropriated by the Legislature to build the entire University. An author and a retired mining engineer who helped identify part of the route of the first transcontinental railroad, Blake was widely considered the most distinguished member of the early faculty. The house was torn down in 1957 for the construction of the Manzanita-Mohave dorm. (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
12 of 18

The President's Pond seen from the north.

Work on the initial phase of the project is slated to wrap up in late July with the installation of a bronze commemorative plaque. The next phase will focus on raising funds for the Campus Arboretum to support similar landscape improvements on campus. Arboretum supporters will be able to purchase commemorative bricks that will be used in a new walkway leading to the pond, or they can sponsor a hand-forged iron bench for the newly refurbished plaza. (Photo by Chris Richards/University Communications)
13 of 18

Students study near the "President's Pond."

While it's called the "Turtle Pond" by many people today, according to "A Photographic History of the University of Arizona 1885-1985" by Phyllis Ball, the campus community of previous decades knew it as the "Lily Pond." (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
14 of 18

A wheelchair-accessible pathway now connects the pond to the nearby service road. (Photo by Chris Richards/University Communications)
15 of 18

The former "President's House" which was razed in 1937.

11. The last official portrait of the president's residence, taken from just southeast of the home. This photo was taken before the building was demolished to make way for the construction of Gila Hall. (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
16 of 18

The planting plan for the pond renovation.

The design plan for the renovations to the President's Pond and the area immediately around it. University landscape architect Mark Novak consulted with the state of Arizona's Historic Preservation Office to ensure that nothing significant was damaged or removed. The pond sits in the Campus Historic District and is maintained under the guidelines of the University's Historic Preservation Plan, which seeks to preserve and protect historic and cultural resources within the boundaries of the main campus. (Image courtesty of University of Arizona Planning, Design and Construction/Campus Arboretum)
17 of 18

An aerial photo of the University of Arizona campus in the late 1930s, looking east, sometime after Gila Hall, lower left, replaced the President's House near the corner of Second Street and Park Avenue. The President's Pond survived the demolition and remains a popular campus haven. (Photo courtesy of University of Arizona, Special Collections)
18 of 18

Search form

The President's Pond, past and present

Share