Comments on: Henry David Thoreau’s Room at Harvard

By: Paul Maher Jr

Paul Maher Jr — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:42:54 +0000

The wire fence is to prevent the unceasing footfall of traffic to contribute further to the erosion problem the pond is experiencing.

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:54:00 +0000

A nice story. Thanks.

By: JosÃ©

JosÃ© — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:33:11 +0000

Walden pond was a big disappointment for me, although I must confess I only went because I had a friend visiting who was a huge Thoreau fan (it’s just a few miles from my house). It seems that in their effort to conserve it, they’ve almost ruined it. First, there’s a concrete beach near the entrance where you can actually approach the water. It’s a bit ugly, but passable. The bigger problem is that they’ve built a low wire fence that runs around the entirety of the pond to keep people from approaching. The fence itself isn’t too visually obtrusive, but it’s made the actual shoreline have an unnatural feeling. It almost looks like an artificial retention pond. Time and circumstance have also put the pond right by the intersection of two major roads, so it’ not isolated. So as long as you’re just going for the â??I can’t believe I’m actually hereâ? feeling, you’ll be happy. But if you’re going for a more authentic woodsy, ambiance, you might be disappointed.

-This comment is part six in my review of famous ponds.

By: mr pedantic

mr pedantic — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:32:25 +0000

I thought a harvard kid would’ve been smart enough to use the correct grammar and say “Me too”. As a result, I don’t believe the story.

By: mattb

mattb — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:25:59 +0000

Great story. I’m a Thoreau fan too.

By: gwen

gwen — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:29:22 +0000

I’d like that too! What a wonderful story, it brought tears to my eyes. I hope he went to Walden’s Pond after graduation.
I would also like to get there some day, but I’m afraid it may have been changed over time beyond recognition.

By: Iain

Iain — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:26:52 +0000

I am uploading a couple of photos to FB. Don’t know how to get them on to here

By: EMJ

EMJ — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:45:37 +0000

Excellent, I’m intrigued . . .

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:38:46 +0000

EMJ, I have an alternative plan to suggest to you. I’ll let you know what it is later. You can have your cake and eat it too.

By: EMJ

EMJ — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:33:08 +0000

What a great story, and just the kind of activity that Thoreau would have admired. It’s been my goal to visit Walden Pond at some point in my life and read Walden in its entirety (for the fourth time) while sitting on the bank. I know it’s changed beyond recognition from the natural landscape that existed for the years he was there, but it’s one of those serious promises you make to yourself in your youth that you’re bound to keep.