HOME. A PHOTO OF A WOOD TOAD. HISTORY. A PHOTO OF AN OLD TIRE IN THE RIVER. EVENTS. A PHOTO OF A DRAGONFLY. SUPPORT. A PHOTO OF A NESTING DUCK FAMILY. PHOTOS. A PHOTO OF A FROSTED FALL LEAF.
HEADER LOGO FOR IPSWICH RIVER PARK.
A picture of an old tire.HISTORY

History 
Photos 
Contact Us

 

IPSWICH RIVER PARK LOGO.

History of The Park

Ipswich River Park is a 49 acre site at the junction of Haverhill, Central, and Chestnut Streets in North Reading. The site of an old loam farm in the 60's, homestead farmland, and the prospect of a housing development in the 90's, the Park was acquired by eminent domain in 1992. State Urban Help grants and Town matching funds allowed the park to develop. The combined efforts of the Land Utilization Committee, private fund raising, Hillview Commission, local business, and the Recreation Committee, made the project a reality.

The photo on the upper right is a scene from the days before the River was cleaned up and the Ipswich River Park was constructed. "The Fall's beautiful colors can't hide the neglect this area has seen. Trash sits in the river and along the riverbed, although turtles do like to sun themselves on the tires"

Back to Top

Photos Before The Park

Here are some more photos of the farmland and river before the land was restored to it's current beauty:

 A view from across Central St. The devastation was clearly evident as you looked across the site to Chestnut St. The abutters you see are across Central St. The Kidspot playground is just beyond those houses on the left about 1/4 mile away.

Unfortunately, not all litter is harmless. Better clean-up programs within the community helped put an end to this dumping.

 
 Old dirt bike paths.

The devastation of the site was clearly evident from this point. The sandy soil doesn't support much plant life. ATVs and dirt bikes frequent the deserted site. Piles of rocks remain from the previous owner.

Back to Top

 

Contact Us:

North Reading Parks & Recreation Department/
Land Utilization Committee
235 North Street, North Reading, MA 01864
978-664-6016
mstevens@northreadingma.gov

Link to Our Convenient On-line Form to order Bricks or make Donations.


 

This site was designedby Hesperus Web Design
as a free service to benefit the Ipswich River Park project.

| HOME | HISTORY | PARKS & RECREATION | SUPPORT | PHOTOS |

This document was last modified:Thursday, 17-Dec-2015 15:09:14 EST

THIS PAGE HAS BEEN ACCESSED [an error occurred while processing this directive] TIMES SINCE JANUARY 1, 2001.