Weymouth Parks
There are over 40 parks, playgrounds and athletic fields in the Town Of Weymouth. The oldest being Great Hill Park, Beals Playground and Webb Playground. A description of some are listed here.
Bayley Green
The Town Of Weymouth has been fortunate over the years in that there have been few cases, if any, where the town has had to give up a park, playground or recreation spot (unless you consider schools) for the sake of development. Bayley Green will most likely fall into that unfortunate category over the next few years. At one time a larger open space lined with majestic elm trees, development around Columbian Square has slowly whittled Bayley Green down to a small island at the intersection of Columbian and Pleasant Streets.
As a matter of fact, if you look back on Weymouth's history, the little island it has become, is a symbol Weymouth's struggles to accept differing views on religion. It was the site of Weymouth's Second Parish Meetinghouse or Church (the first in the South Precinct of Weymouth) from which several religious affiliations grew to form other parishes within Weymouth and extending to neighboring towns. This Meetinghouse was officially sanctioned by the State in 1723 and it's first minister, the Reverend James Bayley, was ordained there. The Reverend Bayley preached there for 43 years until his death and all but one of his 14 children were born in Weymouth. One of the parish affiliations, presently known as the Old South Union Church owned title to the property as of 1916 (the Meetinghouse had long since been razed) and deeded it to the town with a provision that it forever be preserved as a "Green", except, (and this was its downfall) "for necessary street widening". It also stipulated that it be "forever known as Bayley Green".
Beals Playground
This playground is located in North Weymouth between Sea Street, Athens Street and Bridge Street near Bicknell Square and Thomas' Corner. The land was donated to the town by Elias S. Beals, a prominent citizen of Weymouth in the early 1880's. The park is approximately 3 1/2 acres and has contained a walkway path and benches, a basketball court and play structures for many years.
Bradford Hawes Playground
In the mid 1900's there was much interest within the Town Of Weymouth in creating more recreation space. The Park Department at that time had been lobbying for more parks to be constructed and began by leasing a parcel of land near Lovell's Corner in 1917, with hopes of eventually purchasing for a permanent recreation spot. The property was owned by Bradford Hawes a well known war veteran of the 1860's and a familiar figure in town politics. In 1924, Hawes donated approximately 7 acres of his property to the town, to be used for recreation purposes. Formerly a wooded area known as Hawes Grove, the Bradford Hawes Playground was steadily improved over the years and now includes play structures and a baseball field. It is located just off of Mutton Lane on Lakehurst Avenue in East Weymouth.
In 2009, with the help of funding acquired from the Community Preservation Act, the Town Of Weymouth purchased an additional 2 acres of land to be added to the park. On December 3, 2009, Bradford Hawes grand-daughter, Jeanette Fairbanks Hawes, a lifelong Weymouth resident and teacher in the Weymouth School system passed away at the age of 96.
Great Hill Park
The summit of Great Hill may contain the best view of the City Of Boston and The Boston Harbor Islands of anywhere on the New England coast, especially from a southern perspective. Unfortunately, it has historically been one of the least cared for parks in the Town Of Weymouth. The property, at least most of it, was owned by the Bradley Family at the turn of the century. It served mostly as a cow pasture until the early part of the 1900's when some people in the Town Of Weymouth began to recognize its value.
As time went on the town acquired more of the property from the Bradley's and although some realized a need for a roadway to the summit, appropriating much money for Great Hill's benefit was beyond the town's means. By about 1920, townspeople began to acknowledge a need for more recreation space and soon after, Bradley Road was constructed, allowing vehicles access to the summit.
In 1923, a tablet and flagstaff was set at the top of Great Hill that commemorated "The Society Of Colonial Wars" as well as the "Settlement Of Weymouth" in its 300th year and the town's anniversary celebration commenced from this point. This tablet refers to the original colony named Wessagusset that was formed in 1622 by British adventurer and businessman, Thomas Weston. The settlers suffered from a tense relationship with the neighboring Native Americans. Poor crops led to instances of colonists stealing food. Miles Standish, who had earlier settled in Plimouth, was warned by Chief Massasoit of the Wampanog tribe that there were plans to eradicate the Wessagusset settlement in a raid that would continue on to Plimouth. Miles Standish and two other men marched to Wessagusset and executed the leaders, Wituwaumat and Pecksuot. Years later, what was left of their remains were found and buried at Weymouth's Old North Cemetery.
In the ensuing years, a road was installed on the north slope of the hill and the park would be kept groomed so that it's view could be appreciated. However, due to its somewhat secluded vantage point, the park is often vandalized and any improvements quickly become unmanageable.
In 1998, the Weymouth Historical Society had another tablet set but for the most part, Great Hill Park is a place for vehicles to park and enjoy the view looking north from Weymouth just as it always has been. This park is generally accessed via Bradley Road from Bridge Street in North Weymouth.
James T. O'Sullivan Park
In 1954 James T. O'Sullivan, a successful contractor and businessman, was elected to serve as a Selectman for the Town Of Weymouth, Mass. He had been a resident of North Weymouth and Town Meeting member for many years and over the next few years would be involved with numerous town committees and political decision making. Not coincidently, during those years, a parcel of land was acquired by the town at the corner of Pilgrim Road and Wadaga Road in the Wessagusset Village section of North Weymouth. Also during that time the town appropriated money to develop the parcel into a small playground.
In 1960, Mr. O'Sullivan proudly announced his candidacy for re-election, but before finding out that he had won by a large margin of victory he sadly and suddenly passed away. The following year, his peers elected to name the playground, known as Wadaga Road Park, the James T. O'Sullivan Playground
and also appropriated funding for a new baseball field. Today the park has three ballfields and a clubhouse and serves as the home of the North Weymouth Cal Ripken League which is part of a nationally recognized baseball organization for 9 to 12 year olds. It is located in North Weymouth at the corner of Wadaga and Pilgrim Roads.
Field House at O'Sullivan Park
Legion Memorial Field
In 1925, the Town Of Weymouth School Building Committee headed by Prince H. Tirrell were appropriated a sum of $10,906 to purchase a parcel of land from the estate of Charles P. Putnam located at the junction of Commercial and Middle Streets. The committee was assigned the task of draining the land, which was recognized as an immediate concern, and also securing additional properties as required for the purpose of providing a playground or athletic field for use in connection with the Weymouth High School
. The committee understood that it would take a couple of years before the field would ultimately be completed but it was to be named the Legion Memorial Field
.
The entire parcel of land secured for athletic fields would wind up being 13 acres and the Town Of Weymouth knew right from the beginning that there would be a drainage problem on almost all of it. Just how much of a problem however is something they had not anticipated as it took over 5 years of draining and infilling the property before they were able to hire Mr. Ernst Hermann of Newton, MA to design the field layout. Eventually, the fields for baseball, football, track and field, and finally tennis courts were completed. Football games, that had been played up to that time on Clapp Memorial Field, Ahern Field at the old Weymouth Fairgrounds, and Overlook Park in North Weymouth, were finally able to be played on the new high school athletic complex called Legion Memorial Field in 1930.
By 1935 a wall encompassing the property and eventually an ornamental fence would be built. As the wall neared completion, a dedication ceremony was held on a Sunday, October 12, in recognition of the field and in particular the gateway designed by architect Howard B. S. Prescott. Mrs. Leo Bicknell, President of the Wollaston Auxiliary to the American Legion spoke and gave tribute to the Gold Star Mothers and the over "700 boys from Weymouth who answered their country's call, 22 of whom did not return".
In 1990, the football field, located within the Legion athletic fields, was named after long time coach and athletic director for Weymouth and Tufts University, Harry Arlanson.
No more than a couple hundred yards down Middle Street as you leave Legion Field and head toward the Town Hall there is the Ralph Talbot Amphitheater. The wall there is decorated with plaques honoring all those from Weymouth, Massachusetts that served their country in all conflicts. On the east face the plaque recognizes those who served in the First World War. There are actually 23 names of men that gave their lives. They are Harold W. Hyland, Parker Bradford Jones, Harold L. Proctor, James C. Glenncross, Harold Beaton, Harold B. Klingeman, James Henry Corridan, Nicodemo Fudo, George T. Nesbitt, Thomas F. Donovan Jr., Vincent A. Gorman, Walter Joseph Healey, Arthur B. Hurley, William J. Johnson, William R. Monteith, Lawrence Hill Cate, Daniel Bresnahan, Grover Sprague, Ralph Talbot, Joseph Haskell Whall, Ernest Burnside Mowry, Neil Morrison and Frederick Wells Polley.
The American Legion was originally created as an organization to help and honor those soldiers returning from Europe after World War I. Since 1919, it has served as a patriotic, mutual-help, wartime veterans organization of the United States armed forces who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress. In other words, it serves veterans of all wars. In the same respect, although Legion Memorial Field was originally named in honor of World War I veterans from Weymouth, its intent is to honor all those who served in all conflicts. The athletic fields were the first step in an extravagant civic center design that included a new Town Hall, Amphitheater and War Memorial Wall.
Webb Playground
Possibly the oldest continuously cared for park in Weymouth, this 3 acre parcel of land was donated to the town by the descendents of Christopher Webb, the son of Samuel Webb, a well known businessman from Boston. Originally part of a larger estate owned by Major John White, it was inherited by Christopher Webb and his wife Susan, who was Major White's daughter. Christopher served as a lawyer in Weymouth for many years. In 1915, a bandstand was built and the following year a roof built over it. For many years after, local bands played music at this spot for the enjoyment of the people of Weymouth. In the 1920's, prior to construction of Legion Field, this park was also used as a practice field for local semi-pro football teams.
This park is located on the corner of Summit and Gibbons Street not far from Webb Street and Weymouth Landing on the hill overlooking the Fore River.
Webb Memorial State Park and Weymouth Neck
Webb Memorial State Park is located on 36 upland acres situated on a peninsula that reaches a half mile into the Hingham Bay portion of Boston Harbor in a section of North Weymouth known as Weymouth Neck. Over 4,000 years ago this peninsula is believed to have been inhabited by Native Americans as a fishing camp and later became part of the original colony of Wessagusset that encompassed the land along the Fore River. Today, it is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area and shares its history with those islands.
In 1775, nearby Grape Island was the site of a vicious battle involving the distribution of hay during the Revolutionary War. This incident became known as the Grape Island Alarm. Webb Memorial State Park is now home to the Grape Island Alarm Memorial.
Weymouth Neck joined the Industrial Revolution in 1861 when it became the home of a compound of buildings that would become The Bradley Fertilizer Company. This factory compound would be the original of a much larger operation that branched out to several locations around the United States in the ensuing years. The Bradley Fertilizer Works began as a guano company. Former whaling ships carried their cargo of guano from the Pacific Ocean, around Cape Horn, and up the east coasts of South and North America, skirting Cape Cod, to offload at the Bradley Fertilizer plant on Weymouth Neck, which billed itself as the largest fertilizer works in the world. After 1870, Bradley shifted from guano to super phosphate of lime, mined near Charleston, South Carolina. In 1899, Bradley Fertilizer was consolidated into the American Agricultural Chemical Company.
As time went on chemicals would become part of the production of the fertilizer that would have everlasting effects on the environment and people of Weymouth Neck thereafter. This factory was in operation for well over 50 years and made the Bradley Family one of the wealthiest landowners this area has ever had. Their properties extended to both sides of the Back and Fore Rivers and their name is still found on streets and properties in both Weymouth and Hingham.
This is the former site of the Bradley Fertilizer Company looking toward the Back River and old Hingham Shipyard. The view is from Marys' Point.
Conoco-Phillips acquired portions of the property in 1963 and a short time later would close the factory for good. In 1967, Conoco sold the property to Weymouthport Peninsula Corporation who subsequently razed the manufacturing buildings and constructed condominiums, offices and a marina.
The industrial history of Weymouth Neck more or less comprised the Back River or Weymouth side of the peninsula. At the same time during the 1950's the Boston facing side of the Neck became part of Project Nike. As part of Fort Duvall, a coast artillery battery site in Hull, the peninsula became home to missile launchers for a Nike Missile Site. An underground area was constructed to house up to 30 Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules missiles. The Integrated Fire Control, which controlled and tracked the missiles by radar, was located on nearby Little Hog Island, now known as Spinnaker Island. The invention of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile made the Nike Project obsolete and the site was officially deactivated in 1974.
In 1977, the land was transferred to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and proposed as a state park. The state initially cleaned up and renovated portions of the site and opened the park in 1980. The Town Of Weymouth asked that the park be named after a long time member of their Police Department, Captain William K. Webb. From the beginning however, there has been debate as to the extent of hazardous waste located there and local residents and activists voiced concern as to whether the park's soil and water had been sufficiently cleaned. A number of engineering studies were conducted by state and private entities. The studies revealed the presence of metals in the soil of some areas of Weymouth Neck. From 1997 through 2000, environmental testing, including soil, air, groundwater and sediment sampling, was mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The studies revealed that soils in some areas of the Neck contained arsenic and lead at levels that require clean-up action. Conoco-Phillips, as a historical owner of the property, assumed responsibility for the extensive environmental clean-up. To this day, the subject of hazardous clean-up of Weymouth Neck is a source of contention. During the early 2000's, parts or all of the park had been closed to the public for clean-up and testing operations. Finally, in September of 2005 Webb State Park was officially re-opened.
In addition to the Alarm of Grape Island Monument, the park contains the John H. Cole Memorial Outlook after a former Weymouth town meeting member, the Donald Haviland Memorial after a casualty of World War II, the Domenic Sansone Memorial Promontory after a Korean War veteran, and the Marys' Point section of the park opened in October of 2009. The Robert Ambler Walkway runs throughout the park and there are several sitting areas named after frequent users of the park.
One of the buildings on the park land has been used for many years, under an agreement with the Commonwealth Of Massachusetts, by the South Shore Association of Retarded Citizens. The building is known as the Henley Building.
The park is now operated and cared for by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.