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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"
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Photos Before The Park
Here are some more photos of
the farmland and river before the land was restored to it's current
beauty:
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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. |
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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. |
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