Man-made Lake Katharine was the most prominent feature of the Reynolda landscape when the Reynolds family moved into their bungalow in 1917. The lake served as a scenic focal point, irrigation source, and recreational outlet for the family complete with a walking path.
The 16-acre lake was dredged for the first time in 1924, 11 years after its creation. In the 1950s, runoff from the construction of Wake Forest’s new campus filled the lake again. Today, the area serves as valuable wetlands.