Echo Lake was formed in the mid-19th century from Meredith Branch between Broad Street and the Chickahominy Swamp, and by the late 1800s it powered a flour mill. It took its name from the echo heard when calling across the water. In 1909, Jacob E. Lewis, an African-American farmer and preacher, bought the lake and established it as a recreation area for African-Americans. After his death, commercial organizations made unsuccessful attempts to continue his vision. In 1930, area residents formed Echo Lake, Inc., bought the property, and during that decade made the lake and grounds a popular destination for dances, picnics, boat rides, sporting activities, and camping for the Black community. Church congregations including Mt. Olive Baptist, Mount Vernon Baptist, and Abner Baptist gathered there for Sunday morning baptisms. During strict racial segregation, the lake gave African-Americans a place to meet, recreate, relax, congregate, and discuss the news. Many locals remembered the tightness of the community, while others remembered the music and dancing associated with Johnson’s Happy Pals Orchestra, a ten-member group of black Richmond musicians formed in 1927 that regularly appeared at the lake’s pavilion and won a 1929 New York City contest over orchestras directed by Count Basie, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington. By 1940, most activity had declined except for fishing, picnics, and occasional baptisms. Henrico County purchased the property in 1981 and developed it as a public park with a 1.5-mile hiking trail, pedestrian bridge, playground, and picnic shelter.
