The Select Board has approved a transfer of approximately $67,000 to permanently close a 140-year-old fire cistern discovered beneath the Park on Elm Street construction site. Remediation work was expected to begin June 30 and take less than a month to complete.
The granite water reservoir, which dates to around 1885 and measures 24 feet in circumference and 23 feet deep, was uncovered in May during excavation work at the former Gerry School playground. The unexpected find has added complexity to the $500,000 community park project but will not affect ongoing fundraising efforts.
“The transfer of funds will cover the entire cost to close out the cistern backfill and permanently close off the cistern,” Planning and Development Director Brendan Callahan told the Current.
The cistern appropriation was among $1.3 million in year-end transfers approved by the Select Board and Finance Committee as part of standard budget reconciliation. The transfers move unspent funds from various departmental budgets to cover expenses across town operations.
To prevent soil migration through voids in the existing stone walls, crews will install a minimum 2-foot wide zone of crushed stone, compacted similarly to the soil backfill.
The town plans to salvage some of the historic granite for use in the new park design, fulfilling earlier discussions about incorporating elements of the site’s history into the renovation.
The cistern discovery has affected the new park project timeline but in a limited way. While phase one work — including site preparation for the grassy area, path work, parking area and amenities — has been delayed, phase two playground construction activities remain on schedule. The overall project completion date was previously pushed to spring 2026.
“The town did not anticipate an unknown cistern and did not anticipate the expense associated with it,” Callahan said.
However, the cistern work will not impact the community fundraising campaign led by Friends of the Park on Elm Street. The nonprofit organization has raised $400,000 toward its goal and needs an additional $100,000 by Aug. 1 to complete planned playground equipment, landscaping and amenities. A community member has offered to match new donations dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000.
“This work is separate from the fundraising being done by the Friends of the Park on Elm although the Friends group funded the exploratory investigation work to keep the project moving forward,” Callahan clarified.
The cistern served the historic Back Street neighborhood before Marblehead’s modern water infrastructure was installed between 1901 and 1908. Similar structures existed throughout the town’s historic areas for firefighting purposes before the advent of fire hydrants.
With remediation work beginning, the project moves closer to transforming the former school playground into a community gathering space while preserving a piece of Marblehead’s 19th-century history.
