Crocker Field
History
Crocker Field was created as a gift to the city in 1916 by Alvah Crocker II, the president of Crocker, Burbank & Co., then a major paper manufacturer in Fitchburg. Crocker's stated purpose for the gift was to encourage the engagement of the city's youth in outdoor recreational athletic activities. At the time, the city's public schools did not have organized athletics programs, but these were soon started in order to capitalize on the gift. Crocker hired the noted Olmsted Brothers firm to design an athletic campus that would provide facilities for baseball, football, and tennis, as well as a running track and a field house. Its features were designed by Olmsted employee Percival Gallagher to be as durable as possible, using stone, brick, and concrete, so that maintenance costs would be low. Crocker also provided a $38,000 endowment to fund its maintenance. In 1921, Crocker funded additional features of the park, including a hockey field and a sprinting track.
Since its construction, the field as served as the principal playing ground for high school athletic teams, hosting popular events such as rivalry football games with neighboring Leominster. It is also the normal location for high school graduation ceremonies, and often hosts regional athletic events.
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Crocker Field Historic District". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved March 12, 2014.