Mayor Dean Jessup announced this afternoon the result of a city-wide contest to name a new wetlands park to be developed at the site of the former Pendleton Pike Drive-in, which is currently occupied by Monarch Beverage Company. Joined by Jewell Nicola, a local resident who submitted the winning recommendation, Mayor Jessup and members of the Lawrence Redevelopment Commission unveiled the newly-named “Bragdon Wetlands Park.”
“As Jewell Nicola pointed out in her recommendation, the Bragdon family has served Lawrence and the surrounding area since its founding,” Mayor Jessup said. “Thanks to the work of the Lawrence Redevelopment Commission and Monarch Beverage Company, we can honor this service with a new park that will benefit the community for years to come.”
In her winning submission, Ms. Nicola noted that the Bragdon family was one of the first to settle the Lawrence area, purchasing a 160 acre plot of land in 1834 during President Andrew Jackson’s presidency. This original purchase encompassed the land that Monarch Beverage Company currently occupies, including what will now be the new wetlands park.
“We are pleased to have the Bragdon Wetlands Park as our new neighbor and we look forward to enjoying it along with our fellow citizens of Lawrence,” said Fred DuFour, Senior Vice President of Monarch Beverage Company.
The Bragdon family has lived in Lawrence for 180 years, and has produced a number of civic and business leaders in the community. Jessup pointed specifically to Claude Bragdon, who in 1929 became one of the founding members of the Lawrence Volunteer Fire Department. In addition, Mayor Jessup noted that Ted Bragdon and the family-run Bragdon’s Post Garage has been a fixture in Lawrence since 1937, with more than 77 years of service to the area.
Final design work is underway for the new Bragdon Wetlands Park, which is expected to include a walking path between East 46th Street and East 52nd Street, an overlook area, as well as permanent art installations. Groundbreaking is expected to take place sometime in 2014. A rendering of the new park’s proposed layout can be found at:http://www.cityoflawrence.org/
[source: Lawrence Mayor’s Office]
Comments 2
Correction: It is called Bragdon's Post Road Garage. (Not Bragdon's Post Garage). When it was originally opened it was located on the NW corner of Pendleton Pike and Post Road. It has long since been at its current location of 8800 Pendleton Pike, just a bit west of Post Road.
So where is this park? I am a Bragdon and have not seen it at the location listed. Did we just give up on it and hope no one would notice? Oh and great job, politicians! Way to not include a huge amount of Bragdons still living in Lawrence. My father is the owner of the original deed signed by Andrew Jackson and has my great grandfather's (Claude Bragdon) badge from the fire department. If you had done any level of research you could have included a larger amount of us who have a very strong, familial tie with the Bragdons that lived here over 100 years ago. Thanks for celebrating our family and not involving us at all.