| Author | Message | ||
     Rebecca Raines Citizen Username: Robin_realist Post Number: 5 Registered: 10-2003 |
Does anyone know the history of the origin of Maplecrest Park. It is rumoured that a condition was made when the land was first given to/acquired by the town that the park and library were to go hand in hand. How did the land come to be owned by Maplewood? What year? Were there any conditions placed on its use? You see where I'm going and I would appreciate any memory of facts that can be supported rather than opinions. Also, how would one research something like this? Thanks, R | ||
| bpaandco Citizen Username: Bpaandco Post Number: 30 Registered: 9-2003 |
You may find info on the park at the Durand Hedden house. If they don't have the information, they might steer you in the right direction. The library should have some too. I looked in my book on Maplewood, but Maplecrest Park wasn't mentioned. Residents of Winchester Gardens might be a good source too. | ||
| Rebecca Raines Citizen Username: Robin_realist Post Number: 6 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thanks, good suggestions. R | ||
| Dave Ross Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 5501 Registered: 4-1998  |
Link I bet the Hilton Library has more information, too. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 220 Registered: 6-2001 |
Some of you will notice that the houses near Ward Homestead and the end of Maplecrest Park are all post-war. Maplecrest used to extend the entire way. It would be reasonable to assume that there were no restrictions on developing Maplecrest, as a portion of it was developed in the 1950's. I think this is what my dad told me a long time ago when we were walking the dog. --John | ||
| bpaandco Citizen Username: Bpaandco Post Number: 31 Registered: 9-2003 |
I would definely check Winchester Gardens then. It was the old Ward Homestead, and the history of the place would most likely be known. Ward Homestead was a large piece of land at one time. It included the Maplewood pool site at the very least. Also, some of the residents at Winchester have lived in the area all of their lives. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2035 Registered: 5-2001 |
You might also want to contact the town historian, who is certain to know about this if anyone does. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 221 Registered: 6-2001 |
I double checked with my mom about the houses at the end of Maplecrest. That did used to be part of the park, and she remembers those houses being built when she was a kid. She graduated CHS in 1967 or 68 something like that to get a guess on when they were built. When she was younger the Hilton Branch was on the top floor of the firestation by the pool... --John | ||
| lseltzer Citizen Username: Lseltzer Post Number: 1818 Registered: 5-2001 |
If we're talking about Boyden Pkwy and Boyden Pkwy South, all those houses were built in the 20's according to the reval database. | ||
| lseltzer Citizen Username: Lseltzer Post Number: 1819 Registered: 5-2001 |
If we're talking about Forest Road, the little road that snakes between Oakland and Essex roads, they were all built in 59-61. Looks like the houses at the end of Essex Rd were built then too. | ||
| bill671 Citizen Username: Bill671 Post Number: 11 Registered: 6-2002 |
An elderly neighbor, who also grew up in that neighborhood once told me as a teenager he used to regularly go hunting in Maplecrest Park, obviously before it was a park. Guessing at his age, this was probably as late as World War One, | ||
| Rebecca Raines Citizen Username: Robin_realist Post Number: 14 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thanks everyone for so many suggestions. I have yet to speak to the town historian but what I was really looking for was a timeline for when that area was subdivided. This in order to establish whether the library property might be considered Green Acres and why the tiny triangle(the traffic median) is already. Tuscan Road is a very old road and cut off the larger triangle before Maplecrest was an actual park. I believe that in 1902 that tiny triangle was still part of the bigger triangle the library is currently on. By the 30's Vermont was cutting off the little triangle. I'm still piecing the together. Thanks again, you overwhelmed me a little. R | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 222 Registered: 6-2001 |
The location of the Hilton Library was always considered part of Maplecrest Park. However, the park was "sold" for greenacres dollars in the 70's or 80's, and the library was built long before this. It is my suggestion that the Hilton Branch is not on greenacres space. A very good try at saving the Hilton Branch, Rebecca. Not to discourage you, but this is likely the wrong route. The "park" as an idea, with fuzzy boarders, was not sold. They sold a geographical boundry. ---John | ||
| Rebecca Raines Citizen Username: Robin_realist Post Number: 19 Registered: 10-2003 |
The geographical boundary you mention, did it cross over Tuscan Rd and include the triangular traffic median? I can't imagine that the Green Acres plan could have possibly considered the road and that traffic median as part of the park but maybe so. I'm still going to look it up but believe it is a moot point now anyway. Thanks for the decade info. R | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 3711 Registered: 5-2001 |
I believe the area around Forest was purchased from the Ward Homestead, as were the lots opposite the Homestead on Elmwood. I had always had the impression that Maplecrest Park was a WPA project back in the 1930s, although I have no idea where I picked this up. More likely it was built at the time Forest was developed, although some of the trees seem more mature than that time frame would indicate. It is interesting that the time line Vor posted shows why, unlike most towns our size, we have two libraries. Park boundaries can be fuzzy. SO is currently in dispute over the new animal shelter, which may or may not be on Green Acres land. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 223 Registered: 6-2001 |
Well... I wouldn't say that the South Orange Split had terribly much to do with why we have two libraries. The "library" was not started by the town, but as an association. The original Maplewood Library was upstairs in the old Maplewood firestation near the (far more recent) town pool. The "Main Branch" was built years later, in a much more central location. Not a bad spot for a library! Later, when the original Hilton Firehouse needed to be replaced, the citizens in the Hilton area were not about to lose thier library. It is for this reason that Maplewood has two libraries about five blocks from each other. --John | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 3727 Registered: 5-2001 |
John, there used to be two library associations with two libraries. One was in Hilton and the other downtown. They merged. The time line I mentioned is posted in another thread in this section. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 225 Registered: 6-2001 |
My confusion... that thread being "Split with South Orange" and the timeline I saw was the next entry under Vors link to a timeline... thought you were refering to that timeline and inferring that the split with south orange had something to do with Maplewood having two libraries. Double checking, heheh, ur right. the timeline linked does expressly mention why we have two libraries. What I didn't realize was that the bulding in DeHart park is 20 years old! It still feels like "that new building". --John |
