Springside Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Springside Park
|
|
Entrance sign
|
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Area | 237.5 acres (96.1 ha) |
| Built | c. 1856 |
| Architect | Joseph McArthur Vance; W. Ellingwood Allen |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian; Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000553 |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 2008 |
Springside Park is a big city park located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It covers about 237.5 acres, making it the largest park in the city. Much of the park is covered in trees, which is great for quiet activities like hiking.
The part of the park closest to North Street has more developed areas. Here you can find sports fields, a building with restrooms, a pond, and Springside House. Springside House is a large, old mansion that was first built around 1856. Some areas of the park are also used for the Hebert Arboretum, which is like a special garden for trees and plants. Years ago, in the 1960s, you could even go skiing and take lessons at the park! Springside Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 because of its important history.
Park History
Long ago, in the early 1800s, the land that is now Springside Park was mostly farmland. A family called Strong owned a lot of this land. In 1808, a man named Asahel Strong sold the rights to use water from springs on his land. This water was used by the Pittsfield Water Works Company.
Later, in the 1840s or 1850s, a person named Abraham Burbank bought some of this land. He started a large farm there, sometimes called a "gentleman's farm." Part of Burbank's land, including the house, was sold to a private school in the 1850s. Around this time, Burbank began building a house called Elmhurst. This is the building we now know as Springside House.
The house was made even bigger in the 1870s by John Davol, a businessman who bought Burbank's farm in 1872. In 1904, Clarence Stephens bought the property. Finally, in 1938, this estate became part of Springside Park.
How the Park Grew
The idea for Springside Park came from a former mayor named Kelton Miller. He started buying land near the large estate in 1908. In 1910, he and his wife, Eva, gave 10 acres of land to the city. They continued to donate more land over the years.
In 1938, Miller's sons bought the Stephens estate and also gave it to the city. In the same year, the city also bought a 39-acre "cow pasture" from the William Alton Pierce family. This made the park over 120 acres in size! After this, work began to build paths and other things in the park.
The park's size changed a bit when a nearby school was built. But the city bought more land to make up for it. This is how Springside Park grew to be the large and beautiful place it is today.
