History of the Town Park

Town Park Before

The Memorial Park  

In 1975, the then Mayor, Ms. Clare Russell, received funds from a grant awarded to the town to create a tennis court and a basketball court for public use. She did not have the property on which to place these recreational facilities, so she contacted the Draper Family, who had been a constant support and advocate for the little town of Slaughter Beach. George Draper generously offered the structures could be placed on land owned by him, adjacent to the large parking lot owned by the Memorial Fire Department. Construction was begun and the new courts were completed in 1976 for the town’s folks to enjoy. Later, Mr. Draper donated the land under the courts to the Memorial Fire Company. 

The Shockley family, longtime contributors to the town and the fire Company, contributed a large piece of playground equipment to the town for the town and visitors’ use. Two additional pieces of equipment were also donated.  

In 2015, the Memorial Fire Company, who had purchased the land adjacent to the courts from the Draper family, later leased a small portion of the land to the town for 25 years, and the town assumed responsibility for caring for it. 

Fast forward to 2022, and the Town Council reviewed the playground equipment condition and found it needed repairs. With federal ARPA funds of $130,000, coupled with a grant of $60,000 from ORPT the Council set up a committee to assess the needs, develop a plan, supervise the installation, and allocate the funds. It took a bit of time to select the vendors, organize the work timeline, and do some preparatory work, but in Fall of 2023 the park was revitalized. This included repairs to the existing playground equipment, resurfacing both the tennis court and creating a pickleball court overlay, along with the resurface basketball court. The newly installed playground equipment will accommodate children of all ages. There are facilities to provide enjoyment for about 20-25 children along with ample seating for adults to relax while watching the children play.  

There are continuing plans to install a playground dock & sailboat (donated by Debra Golembiewski), a bocci ball court, signage to inform visitors of the fauna and foliage surrounding them, additional plants, and a future walking path. But it must be recognized that none of this would have happened without the in-kind support and assistance of the Memorial Fire Company and local volunteers. Thanks to all! 

Town Park After