Above: Committee members gather to dedicate Cordaville Park. (Contributed photo)
The design of Cordaville Park, also called the Triangle, at the intersection of Cordaville and Southville Roads has provoked strong opinions from many of you. Love it or not – I happen to love it – the park presents a dramatic welcome to those visiting Southborough from the south. It’s a project that was ten years in the making, and last week the volunteers who saw it through gathered to officially dedicate the park.
The wedge of land on which the park sits was donated to the town by the MBTA, who purchased it when they reconfigured the intersection at Cordaville and Southville Roads to ease traffic to and from the new commuter rail station. A committee of residents worked with students from the Conway School of Design to come up with a plan for the property.
In the late 1800’s Cordaville and Southville were home to a number of mills producing things like wool blankets and shoes. The committee wanted the new park to play homage to the area’s industrial past. They choose industrial materials like steel for hardscape elements. Undulating paths through the park evoke the flow of the Sudbury River which powered the mills. And perched at the center of the park is the original bell from the Cordaville woolen mill.
Funding for the project was provided by grants from the Community Preservation Committee. In her remarks at the dedication, committee Chairperson Kim Costello said the park was a community effort.
Thank you to the board of Selectman who put trust in our committee and allowed us to take on such a large project. Bonnie Phaneuf, was instrumental in guiding us and providing us with support. She was always available, be it by phone or at meetings as well as on site viewings. We also have to thank the Southborough Gardeners for their generous donation of trees that put the finishing touches on this project and surround the bell and central seating area. The DPW has been instrumental in assisting and guiding through the last few phases of this project. Thank you again to the CPC and the residents who approved this project at town meetings. I also need to thank my fellow committee members. Without your tireless dedication and commitment, this project would not have been completed.
If you haven’t visited Cordaville Park, I encourage you to hold out for the next sunny autumn day, and then head over there for a stroll.
