Board of Parks – Board of Commissioners – Lowell, Massachusetts – 1914
Middlesex Square – Corner of Middlesex & Baldwin Streets in Middlesex Village. Baldwin Street is named after Col. Loammi Baldwin, Revolutionary War veteran, chief engineer of the Middlesex canal and creator of the Baldwin apple. He is buried in the First Burial Ground in Woburn, MA.
Princeton Square – Corner of Princeton & Baldwin Streets in Middlesex Village. Princeton Street is presumably named for John D. Prince, the superintendent of Merrimack Print Works and an early settler of Lowell.
Tyler Park – A Frederick Law Olmsted designed park on Westford Street in the Highlands section of Lowell. On land donated by Mrs. Mary Ann Sanders Tyler and her daughter Susan Emma Tyler in 1893 to the City of Lowell, It is the centerpiece of a 1891 subdivision. The Tyler family are buried in the Lowell Cemetery
Glacial Oval – Erected by the school children of Lowell in 1905 and is on Glacial Avenue.
Harris Oval – Now called McOsker Circle in memory of Arthur F McOsker who was killed in action in France July 16, 1918 during World War One. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery.
Parker Spalding Park – At the intersection of Parker and Crescent streets. Miss Hannah M Spalding donated the land to the city of Lowell and it was accepted October 28, 1910. She requested that it be named Parker Spalding Park for family members who served during the Revolutionary War.
The 2 family members of most prominence in the war were East Chelmsford resident Lt Col Moses Parker wounded at Bunker Hill, taken prisonor and died in Boston ironically on the 4th of July 1775. Lt Robert Spalding died in Milford, CT in 1776 returning to the army. They both served under Captain John Ford in the Revolutionary War. They are buried in the Forefather’s Cemetery in Chelmsford.
Hillside Park – At Parker and Plain Streets. It contains a granite marker listing the men who died in World War II from the Highlands.
Penniman Park – George F Penniman owned 18 acres of land in the Highlands that he developed with carpenter Valentine Wilson. They donated the square at Liberty & Pine streets in 1880. Penniman lived at 268 Liberty Street that is surrounded by Penniman Circle. They are both buried in the Lowell Cemetery.
Coburn Square – Was donated by the widow of Stephen Adams Coburn, Gratia Ann (Parker) Coburn in 1907. It was the site of the Coburn Homestead and Dairy Farm for many generations which now encompasses the current location of Crosspoint. The park is .252 acres and has recently been rededicated. The Coburn family is buried in the Lowell Cemetery.
Franklin Square – Is a triangle square at the intersection of Middlesex and Branch Street and is .058 of an acre. It was in front of the Franklin school which opened in 1839.
Hutchinson Square – At the corner of Liberty and Hutchinson is named for Samuel Knox Hutchinson (1804-1877). A prominent Mason he was a builder and contractor responsible for Merrimack Mills, Prescott Mill and St Ann’s Church. He built his home on 187 Nesmith Street and it currently in use as Mahoney’s Funeral Home. The square now has a granite marker for William J Sullivan of the US Army. There is a gold star marker on a telephone pole as Hutchinson Square, however he is not a veteran so this is incorrect. Hutchinson is buried in the Lowell Cemetery.
Lincoln Square – Lincoln Playgroud – Both named for President Abraham Lincoln.
North Common – Purchased by the City in 1845, this 11.39 acre parcel was previously owned by the Proprietors of Locks & Canals. The city wanted the Acre residents to have some recreational space.
South Common – Also purchased by the City in 1845, this 40 acre parcel was previously owned by the Proprietors of Locks & Canals.
City Hall – Located at 375 Merrimack St built in 1893. Various ethnic monuments in city hall park and surrounding area.
Monument Square – Located in front of city hall it contains the Ladd & Whitney Memorial and the Victory Statue. The Ladd & Whitney Monument was dedicated June 17th 1865 and is thought to be the first Civil War memorial. The 27.5 foot high granite obelisk contains the graves of Luther C Ladd and Addison O Whitney who were killed in Baltimore on April 19, 1861 in the rush to Washington DC to defend the capitol,
Monument Square also contains the Victory Statue, a gift from Dr J.C. Ayer to the City of Lowell in 1867. Dr. Ayer is buried in the Lowell Cemetery.
Lucy Larcom Park – Named for mill girl and author Lucy Larcom 1824-1893. Her and her sisters published the Lowell Offering when they lived in Lowell. When Anne street was closed the park expanded, She is buried in the Central Cemetery in her hometown of Beverly, MA.
Belividere Park – At the intersection of Andover and Nesmith Street, this park was also called Washington Park. Now named Kittredge Park for Captain Paul E Kittredge of the Yankee Division killed in action in France on October 23, 1918 during World War One. He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery in France.
Mansur Square – Named for Lowell Mayor Stephen Mansur Jr. At the intersection of Parkview and Mansur in Belvidere. He lived nearby and is buried in the Lowell Cemetery.
Hovey Square – Named for Charles Hovey, who came to Lowell via the Middlesex Canal in 1832. This small square is located at Hovey and Holyrood Ave. He was one of the founders of the Lowell Cemetery and is buried there. He was a prominent banker and early businessman in Lowell. He lived on 14 Park Avenue in Belvidere. Not to be confused with Hovey Park in Centraville.
Rogers Fort Hill Park – Donated to the city in 1886 by Zadock Roger’s daughters, this 30 acre parcel was designed by landscape architect Ernest Bowditch. The Rogers family had a 247 acre farm. They lived in what became the Rogers Hall School for Girls now elderly housing. The Rogers family is buried in the Lowell Cemetery.
Shedd Playground – Donated to the city in 1910 by Freeman Ballard Shedd’s wife, this 56 acre parcel for use as a playground. Located at 453 Rogers Street, it has been improved greatly over the years. The Shedd family is buried in the Lowell Cemetery.
Riverside Park – Located in front of the Riverside School in South Lowell at the intersection of Woburn & Eugene Street, near the Concord River. Now named for Pvt William Dube Square, dedicated in 1929 by the VFW. Pvt Dube died of wounds in France in June 20th 1918 and is buried in the Aisne Marne American Cemetery in France.
Lenox Square – Located at the intersection of Lenox and Whipple Streets. The square adjoins the former city stable and workshop at 99 South Whipple Street. Now dedicated to veteran G.A. Clark Sr Square,
Mt Vernon Park – Located in Christian Hill at the intersection of Durant, Vernon and 3rd Streets. Rumor has it that George Washington, a friend of the Varnums of Dracut viewed the Merrimac Valley from the top of Christian Hill then part of Dracut. Maybe from this spot?
Water Works Square – At the intersection of West Sixth Street and West Street, dedicated in 1903.
Varnum Park – At the intersection of Bridge Street and VFW Highway. Still a small park today. Named for General Joseph Bradley Varnum (1750-1821) of Dracut. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives and acting Vice President of the United States. He is buried in the Varnum Cemetery in Dracut. Varnum Park was the location of the toll house for the ferry crossing and later the covered bridge crossing the Merrimack River.
Colonial Ave Riverbank – Originally the city leased this park from Locks and Canals. This would be the land below the Richard Howe Sr bridge on the Pawtucketville side.
Varnum Ave Riverbank – Originally the city leased this park from Locks and Canals. This land is now owned by the State of Massachusetts DCR as Lowell Heritage State Park at 160 Pawtucket Blvd .
Research by Eileen Loucraft – Lowell Historical Society – November 12, 2023