Recorded Fall 2004
You are now standing in front of the Wallingford playfield. In front of you, you see kids playing with one another running through the wood chips. You can hear the wind blowing through the trees as kids play catch and soccer. You can inhale the strong smell of freshly cut grass. As you move forward you can start to hear the sound of the swings squeaking on their hinges. When you turn to take one last look at the park, you look at the field and see people walking their dogs and kids laughing and playing.
The playfield used to be a lot smaller then it is today. To make the playfield bigger they had to get rid of a lot of houses.
(Charlotte ): I lived on 42nd... The houses came down.
The playfield was built in 1924 when a group of parents decided they wanted a park in the neighborhood.
Charlotte was a kid in the 1930s when she went to the playfield.
(Charlotte): I lived two blocks away from Hamilton...
Charlotte also pointed out that they would use the park for some celebrations. Near the park at Hamilton they celebrated May Day.
(Charlotte Quote): We celebrated May Day which is May first...
Charlotte did not have a lot of experiences at the park, but she did say that she played at the park sometimes. Most of the time she would play in the street because there were not a lot of cars in her time. She said there were about 3 or less people in Wallingford with cars.
Today when you come to the playfield, you see a big wide-open space with a lot of places to run. You also see a lot of play equipment, kids with their nanny’s and parents and a wading pool that is only open during the summer. The playfield has changed a lot over the years. It has gotten bigger and the play equipment has gotten more advanced.
Community fundraising has kept the playfield looking nice. A group that has done a lot for the playfield is the Friends of Wallingford Playfield. Some of those people are Bob Goldberg, Greg Flood, and Christie Rodgers. The names of other park supporters are written on the benches. The Department of Neighborhoods gave a small grant in July, 1999. I think that the playfield is going to keep getting better and better through the years.