Did you know that July is Parks and Recreation month? Please don’t feel bad if you didn’t because neither did I until recently when this little factoid popped up on one of my social media networks. When it did, it got me thinking about all the parks we have here in Somersworth and our fabulous Recreation Department which is headed up by the wonderful Kristen Davenport.
As strange as the past 18 or so months have been I think many of us have a new appreciation of what is essentially in our own backyards. In Somersworth, there are 10 recognized parks within the 10 square miles that make up the city. Over the years, many of those parks have changed in nature or in at least one case would be unrecognizable to our great grandparents if they were able to visit for a day.
So over the next few weeks I will be taking a look at some of our better known parks, the opportunities they afford for recreation within the city and in some cases the history of that park. Today I thought we would take a look at one of the better known parks in the city: The Noble Pines and how it came to be.
Our story today begins back in 1915 when John Noble, his sister and mother wrote to Mayor Fred Brown expressing their intentions to deed what we now know as, “The Pines,” to the city of Somersworth. The donation was made in honor of Noble’s father and great grandparents who had originally purchased the land to the south and west of Grand Street. John Noble was a well known Boston solicitor with ties to the city through the land and his parents.
There are several letters that pertain to the correspondence that Noble had between himself and the major players within the government at the time regarding the exchange of land. I love this excerpt from one of those letters explaining John Noble’s motivation for gifting the land:
“The Pines have always been identified in my recollection with picnics and other childhood amusements and I hope they may give as much pleasure to the coming generations of children in Somersworth as they did to me.”
The family at that time also elected to have the land managed by trustees as opposed to being governed by the city. This would continue until June 5th when the trustees felt it prudent to turn over the management of the park to city government. One of the first orders of business for the trustees was exactly what to name the land. According to records, several ideas were bandied around but it was quickly decided that the name would be “The Noble Pines and Playground.”
Over the next few decades, the Pines would become a beloved childhood memory for Hilltopper children, but for some it was where baseball became part of their blood.
It would be Mayor Peter Gagne who in his inaugural address in 1923 addressed the issue. “Baseball is the national game we are all interested in. The possibilities of a good diamond prevail and no doubt the Trustees will give this part of the playground the attention required.”
He also made mention of the fact that he along with many others hoped the Trustees would add a swimming pool to the property as well as making provisions for winter sports. It was becoming more obvious to all that parks were beginning to play an important part in the everyday life here in Somersworth. Mayor Gagne also made mention of the possibility of adding a playground to the lower section of the community, but more on that at a later date.
So from 1942, the Pines has been managed by the city of Somersworth and has over the years seen many changes. At one point, there were tennis courts where the climbing structure now stands and many tournaments were fought and won there. Those courts were eventually replaced and the once popular swimming pool which was more of a paddling pool was filled in and replaced with a skateboard park.
Generations of children, including my own, have grown up under the Pines water tower and have many memories of family times, summer camps and baseball up on the hill. Today one of the most popular and newest features of the park is the splash pad which is enjoyed by so many families from all over. The ballfield is unofficially maintained by Councilor David Witham who along with others has dedicated a lot of time to the upkeep of the beautifully manicured ballfield.
As you can see, the Pines has a long tradition in the city. You have to wonder how proud John Noble would be if he came back to the tract of land that he and the family donated today. If you have memories of the Pines growing up, I would love to hear from you as always.
If you have kids, you might want to check out the Kids Koncert at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 14, 21, 28 and Aug. 4. Each week the Somersworth Festival Association presents a new children’s entertainer. The concerts are free to attend and take place on the grass between Somersworth High School and the Middle School on Memorial Drive. In the event of rain, the concert will be moved indoors. Food will be available for purchase.
That’s all I have this week but I’ll be back next week! Until then have fun, stay safe and be nice to all as you never know what someone else is going through.