Lexington, SC 10/25/2021 (Paul Kirby) - The Town of Lexington will hold a ribbon cutting and community cookout to celebrate the reopening of Gibson Pond Park this week. The celebration of the official reopening will be held on Thursday, October 28th, 2021, from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m.
Gibson Pond Park was actually reopened to the public in August 2021 after it was closed for more than a year during construction that mostly entailed building a replacement dam. Since its closing, outdoor enthusiasts have lamented the loss of its amenities and longed for the day when they could return to the beautiful park to enjoy all it offered. Now, the newly remodeled and upgraded park features a bridge with fishing piers, a new dock, new picnic shelters, and a walking trail.
In October of 2015, Hurricane Joaquin caused a historic 1,000-year flood event to unfold in the Carolinas. After more than 20-inche of rain fell, the water ran across the top of and destroyed the Gibson Pond dam. This left the pond a vast empty mud puddle. Since that catastrophic week, the Town of Lexington has worked continuously with state and federal agencies to rebuild the dam and bring the park back to life.
Gibson Pond Park has a rich history in the Lexington community. The pond is fed by Twelve Mile Creek. It was once a site where the pond’s flowing water powered gristmills, sawmills, and even a small cotton mill. Formerly known as George’s Pond, the property was purchased from the George family by Murray Gibson in 1943.
For nearly 30 years, Gibson Pond was a community recreational area with features like the pavilion, known as the best dance hall in the county. There were also picnic tables, swimming, fishing, canoeing, paddleboats, camping and rental cabins. It was an oasis of country living in the midst of a town that was at the cusp of an explosion of growth. The property was closed to the public in 1972 and was largely unused until 2007 when the Town of Lexington purchased and redeveloped it into a public park.
During Thursday’s celebration, Lexington’s Mayor Steve MacDougall and the Members of Lexington Town Council will be on hand to officially welcome visitors back to Gibson Park. There will be free hamburgers and hotdogs, while supplies last and the public is encouraged to attend.
Gibson Pond Park is located at 241 Gibson Road in Lexington, SC. For more about this and other events in the Town of Lexington, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
