Lake Williams Painters — Williams Street, Ice House Landing and the lake trail

Marlborough sits on a highland watershed, and the city's 1994–95 historic survey calls Lake Williams its only natural lake; Fort Meadow is a dammed reservoir. Aaron Brigham ran a tan yard there by 1803, it was the source for the town waterworks built in 1882–84, sailing and boating were popular from at least the 1870s, and the Lyonhurst Ballroom opened on the south shore in 1922.

Today the city describes Lake Williams as 113 acres of water and land, managed by the Department of Public Works as watershed for a backup water supply. Swimming, boating, fishing and dogs are all banned. A 1.5-mile trail loops through shady woods near the shore, with just over half a mile of floating boardwalk; the trailhead is off Lizotte Drive, reached from West Main Street (Route 20) by way of Williams Street.

Ice House Landing, near the lake and west of Winter Avenue, lies in Census Tract 3215, a large tract that also takes in Howland Street and parts of Lincoln and Bolton Streets. Its median build year is 1970. Of 3,063 units, 35.4% date from 1939 or earlier, 18.7% from the 1980s and 15.2% from 2010 or later. About a third of units (32.9%) are detached houses, 34.8% are in two- to four-unit buildings, and owners occupy 54.1% of homes. Williams Street and Winter Avenue, on the eastern approach, fall in the tract covered on our French Hill page.

Work beside a protected water supply

Because the lake backs up the city's drinking water, rinse water, paint solids and scraped chips should stay out of the lake and off the watershed land around it. On nearby lots, washing, scraping and cleanup call for ground tarps and containment from the first day.

Woods, shade and slower drying

The city describes the trail as running through shaded woods, and the survey calls Marlborough's vegetation largely deciduous. Siding under tree cover stays damp longer after rain and dew, so it's worth checking for mildew before painting and giving surfaces time to dry.

Old and new houses side by side

A tract where more than a third of homes predate 1940 and 15% are post-2010 needs two kinds of prep: lead-safe methods on the older houses, and on newer ones, following the siding or trim maker's finish requirements before repainting.

Decks under deciduous trees

With mostly deciduous trees around, fallen leaves can sit on deck boards and porch floors and hold moisture against the finish. Horizontal surfaces are where a stain or paint coat usually wears first; see deck painting and staining in Marlborough.