Court Square The park that started it all

By WAYNE E. PHANEUF

Springfield is a city of parks. There is the crown jewel of Forest Park with its hundreds of acres, baseball diamonds, lakes and ponds, a zoo, ice arena, renown festival of lights at Christmas time, the Environmental Center for Our Schools, miles of trails and picnic spots, beautiful gardens and the Barney Carriage House and much more. It is truly one of the oldest (1884) and best parks in America.

The Springfield Parks Department also oversees dozens of other parks and playgrounds throughout the city, along with lakes and pools for swimming, two golf courses and countless terraces and pocket parks. the Springfield Parks and forward to another 200 years of partnership!

But how did this park system get its start? You have to go back to 1637, just a year after Springfield was founded. What is now Court Square was the site of the first meeting house. This land became the first “common” property, belonging to the people. That made it the first “park” and became the heart of the community.

Although this was not officially a town common which were used in other Massachusetts Bay Colony settlements as a place to graze livestock or trade and sell goods.

From afterschool recreational programs to our senior centers, including the building of the Raymond A. Jordan Center; our partnership has been invaluable and has had a positive impact on the quality of life for the residents in the City of Springfield. 311 State Street, Springfield, MA 01105

It wasn’t until April 8, 1821 when five prominent Springfield citizens, “realizing the need for an open square or yard near the Hampden County courthouse, bought of Elizabeth Sheldon, . . . one acre of land, more or less...” for $3000, which was termed a “great expense.” Mrs. Sheldon was the widow of Charles Sheldon and the daughter of Zenas Parsons, the original owner of the old tavern that had stood near the center of town for several decades. A provision of the sale was that the land was “...never to be alienated or encumbered with buildings or appropriated for other use than a public common, except such trees for shade and ornament...” Soon labeled as “Court Square,” this was the first public, open space in Springfield and the beginning of a remarkable system of parks.

Many small towns still only have their village commons as the “peoples’ land” but as Springfield grew, that first park spawned more than 100 little and big parks.

LEFT: CIVIL RIGHTS PROTESTERS STANDING BEFORE THE SPEAKERS’ PLATFORM AT COURT SQUARE. VIRTUALLY ALL HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE MARCH DOWN STATE ST. TO THE SQUARE. AUG. 22, 1965.