World War II State Park History

 

DATE ACQUIRED: Acquired during Governor Christopher DelSestos' administration in 1960 which authorized $125,000.00 for its development.

ACREAGE: 14 Acres

LIST OF PREVIOUS OWNERS: Woonsocket Falls Mill was authorized $4,500.00 by the State for its demolition. Bell Beau Shops, Inc. was authorized $5,000.00 to purchase its 30,000 square feet of land behind the DES building off Snow St. on May 9, 1960. Sun Oil Company granted the State of Rhode Island a permanent easement of 2,965,89 square feet to expand and improve the entrance to the park on January 20, 1976.

OTHER NAMES: Social Pond (locally known as Social Ocean)

NAME ORIGINATION: The name was selected by State officials at the request of the Woonsocket City Council.

HISTORY: The bathhouse at World War II was built in 1962 at the cost of $75,000.00, and the boardwalk was constructed in 1964. During the drought of 1966, the pond, was used as the City of Woonsocket's emergency water supply, and currently, the water for the pond is supplied by the Mill River.

On October 25, 1976 Woonsocket veterans dedicated a "Monument of Peace" honoring those who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The state returned World War II to the City of Woonsocket on March 22, 1976 for renovations and improvements: Improvements of nearly $700,000.00 were entirely funded by the Federal Government, $225,000.00 on Federal Grant, $116,000.00 from the City of Woonsocket in Community Development Block Grant, and $345,000.00 from a United States Bureau of Outdoors Grant though the Department of Natural Resources.

World War II Veterans Memorial State Park was dedicated on September 18, 1960 by Governor Christopher DelSesto. The park was then re-dedicated on May 21, 1977 at 2:00 p.m. after the almost $700,000.00 improvement project. Re-dedication was attended by Congressman Ferdinand St. Germain, William Harsch, Director of the State Department of Natural Resources, representing Governor J. Joseph Garrahy, Senator Francis P. Smith, Mayor Gerard J. Bouley, William F. Ryan, Chief of the Division of Parks and Recreation and other State and Municipal Officials.