Long-awaited work begins on Abolition Row Park in New Bedford – SouthCoastToday.com

NEW BEDFORD The sign on the corner ofSpring and Seventh streets declaring that Abolition Row Park was Coming Soon is finally living up to its name as work crews showed up last weekandbegan construction.

Its exciting in many ways, said Lee Blake of the New Bedford Historical Society. In threemonthswell have a lovely little park there.

Abolition Row Park will be a tribute to New Bedfords history as a major stop on the Underground Railroad, the first free home of Frederick Douglass, and a beacon of tolerance and safety for those seeking freedom, said Mayor Jon Mitchell in a statement.

History lesson: Here's what the British Consul General learned about New Bedford's own Frederick Douglass

The project is a joint venture between the historical society and the City of New Bedford.There are two lots involved in the park project one was on city property, the other was not.

Blakeexplained that both lots became city property and that meant any forthcoming construction on theplot needed to go through the bidding process to hire a contractor to do the work.

The bidding process slowed things down and then came the pandemic and the state government stopped all construction, Blake said.

The delay, however, allowed the historical society to finda silver lining, as Blake called it.

We were all hesitant about asking for private donations whenfamilieswere going without because of the pandemic, she said.

It freed up time for the group to research andfindadditionalgrant money to help fund the park project.

Between grants and donations, some $600,000 has been raised, she said.

Additionalplans for the park includeacherrytree border, seasonal flowers, community garden space, a publicgazeboand plaza area, andwalkways and seating. Jam Corporation, based in Worcester, was the winning bidder for the project. Blake said the company has a reputation for working on parks throughout Massachusetts.

Besides the sign announcing the parkscoming soon status, the lot is vacant except for a set of steps that go...well,nowhere.

The was an historic rooming house there that was built in 1843.Afast-moving firedestroyed the building in December 2009. All its residents escaped without injury, however, two dogs died in the fire. The building was sobadly damagedthat it had to be demolished.

The only thing thatstillremainsis the front steps which will be incorporated into the new park.

The dig in 2017 uncovered more than 5,800 artifacts, including the foundation of a small 19th-centuryoutbuilding, buttons, cuff links, a spoon, and fragments of ceramic plates, porcelain, and glass bottles.

The park will be across from the 1822 Friends Meeting House and the Nathan and Polly Johnson House, former home of Frederick Douglass. The neighborhood was home toa number ofprominent abolitionists, both black and white.

Pieces of porcelain plates discoveredduring the dig, headed by New Bedford archeologist Craig Chartier,helped illustrate that Quaker families were not againstacquiringwealth, despite their desire to keep the exterior of their homes and their public appearance modest, according to an article in the Standard-Times.

The park wouldn't be complete without a statue of Douglass who migrated to New Bedford in 1838 through the Underground Railroad after escaping from slavery. In New Bedford, he was helped by Nathan and Polly Johnson, African American abolitionists. He and his wife Anna began their life together, raising their young family here.

The historical commission has so far raised $75,000 toward the expected $200,000 cost of the statue.Richard Blake of Pennsylvania is the sculptor for theDouglass statue.

Blake said fundraising for the project will start up again and members of the public are encouraged to become members of the historical society.

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Long-awaited work begins on Abolition Row Park in New Bedford - SouthCoastToday.com