Blog
Discovering Clifford Park
Posted by Admin, August 24, 2017
Quarry Road at Clifford Park
A few people can make a difference. On September 8 at 7 pm at the Biddeford Meetinghouse, we met to find out more about those generous and forward-thinking individuals who gave many acres of land to the City of Biddeford, which is known as Clifford Park. Who were they? Where did they live? Why did they decide to donate this amazing parcel of land replete with brooks, pristine forests and the remnants of an amazing quarry?
To many of us, we think of Clifford Park as the little playground and tennis court on Pool Road, but this is only a fragment of the natural beauty that constitutes this beautiful park. Clifford Park consists of:
A Quarry. Clifford Park contains the old quarry roads that mined granite that built the Lincoln Memorial and the Brooklyn Bridge. Regal schooners moored on the Saco River alongside Decary Road and waited for the massive stones that they would sail across the country.
A Site for Music and Bands. Our Biddeford predecessors came here for music and picnics from the late 1800s up until the 1950s. The granite stairs leading up to the bandstand are still there, overlooking the Black Trail.
An Early Cemetery. Reverend Jordan and his family are buried here. Let us tell you about Reverend Jordan and the mark he made on Biddeford and help us uncover the notable people buried there.
Brooks. Brooks teaming with brook trout, right here in Clifford Park. These brooks are surrounded by 150-year old trees.
Picnic sites. Back in the 1800s, Clifford Park was the site of picnics. Come and see the photos of families dining there.
We celebrate the people who thought of future generations such as ours when they gave this valuable land to Biddeford. Without their generosity, we would not have this treasure that all of us can enjoy. Let us celebrate their lives and their gift – the magnificent Clifford Park – that we are all so lucky to enjoy.
