Parks and Recreation History

When the city was incorporated, in 1952, Public Works maintained all public streets, public buildings and grounds. The city began to rapidly grow in the early 1960's and it became evident that a more comprehensive effort was needed to maintain the city to provide recreational opportunities to its citizens. In 1964, the Recreation Department was created to supervise athletic programs and services. The first community center was A.T. Bradley Center in North Phoebus, which today is the North Phoebus Community Center. In November of 1966, the Parks Department was created as a separate division of Public Works and their goal was to implement a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

In the late 60's the department employed 68 full-time employees and approximately 80 seasonal employees that included lifeguards, high school students, college students and the National Youth Corps. The budget for the entire department was less than $400,000 and a Parks laborer made around $2.00 per hour.

In 1967 the Parks Department separated from Public Works and relocated to the newly developed Gosnold's Hope Park, which had been a World War II Airmen's Housing complex. Reportedly, Gosnold's Hope Park was named after Captain Bartholomew Gosnold who sailed to the new world from England with Captain John Smith and Christopher Newport in 1607. It was reported that in an earlier expedition, as Captain Gosnold and his crew approached the bay of Massachusetts, his crew suggested they call the land Gosnold's Hope, but the land was later named Cape Cod. Just four months after arriving at Jamestown, Captain Gosnold died of Malaria on August 22, 1607. When Captain John Smith prepared his 1612 map of Virginia, he designated the present area of Back Bay as "Gosnold's Baye" in honor of his lost friend. The word "hope" is of 17th century Scottish origin, meaning inlet or small bay.

In 1967 the department maintained 116 acres of developed parks, which included Gosnold's, Robinson Park, Park Place, Healy Park, Sunset Boat Ramp, Ridgway Park and Aerospace Park. Today the department maintains over 2200 acres of public parks, which also includes public school grounds.

Park Place is located in the Cedar Point. This is Hampton's oldest park. Comprised of 2.0 acres, the property was acquired in 1896. Robinson Park contains 4.75 acres and is located in the Wythe community. The property was acquired in 1939. Sunset Boat Ramp is located on Marina Road off of Ivy Home Road in the Armstrong Point community. This 1 acre site provides two boat ramps with easy access to the Hampton River and the Chesapeake Bay. The property was acquired in 1957. Ridgway Park is located on Mercury Boulevard near the Hampton River and was acquired in 1979. This 8.3 acre park is named in honor of General Matthew B. Ridgway who was a distinguished officer during the Civil War. The park, once a borrow pit, was partially refilled. The Joseph E. Healy Memorial Park was razed in 1987 to make way for the development of the Radisson Hotel. Air Power Park, on Mercury Boulevard, was acquired in 1959 and served as the city's Visitor's Information Center and Department of Commerce and also exhibited decommissioned jet planes and rockets in the outdoor park.

On July 1, 1969, the responsibility to maintain public school grounds and athletic fields was transferred from the School Board to the Parks Department.

In 1978, the Hampton Clean City Commission was created to help improve the appearance of the city by informing and educating the citizens about litter awareness and abatement programs. On June 28th 1978, Hampton City Council meeting was interrupted by the arrival of a terrible creature, Limonocious the Litter Monster, born of the litter around City Hall. This apparition, belching dry ice "smoke", introduced the need for the Hampton Clean City Commission. That evening, the Hampton Clean City Commission was born.

Since 1964 many new facilities have been constructed which include Briarfield Park, a four-field softball and five court tennis complex located on Briarfield Road. This 49 acre park was acquired in 1972 and developed into a park in 1978. Mill Point Park, located in downtown Hampton at the corner of Eaton Street and Queen Street, sits on the grounds of the former Syms-Eaton Academy. This 2 acre park hosts a variety of summer outdoor concerts. Old Hampton Community Center property was acquired in 1971 and developed into a community center in 1975. The 5.38 acre site offers a full-service community center and swimming pool. Northampton Community Center, located at Jefferson Davis Middle School on Todds Lane, was opened in 1992. This is Hampton's only community center attached to a school building. The grounds, center and school facilities are shared by both the center and the school. In October of 2000 the city hired a firm to design its newest community center, West Hampton Community Center. West Hampton opened in 2004 and is located on Briarfield Road on the grounds of Lindsay Middle School. It is a state-of-the-art, 24,000 square foot facility that includes a gymnasium with basketball and volleyball courts, a perimeter walking track, fitness room, aerobics room, community room, café style lounge, and rock climbing wall.

The Senior Center, originally known as Happy House, opened its doors on February 15, 1973. The original facility was made available through the generosity of the First Presbyterian Church of Hampton. On October 12, 1981, this program relocated to offices housed in the Old Hampton Community Center and the name was changed to Senior Center Recreation Services. The new facilities offered more program areas and increased opportunities to get involved in programs of a recreational nature. On October 24, 1989, the Hampton Senior Center located at 3501 Kecoughtan Road was dedicated and all programs were moved to this site.

The Woodlands Golf Course, on Woodland Road, formerly the Old Hampton Country Club, was acquired in 1973 and developed into an 18-hole golf course and tennis center in 1975. The highly popular golf course is the most played public golf course in Virginia. A new clubhouse was constructed in 1999. The Hampton Tennis Center is located adjacent to the Woodlands Golf Course and was constructed around 1975. It has seven lighted courts with a pro shop. It was one of the few public clay court facilities in the Mid-Atlantic region and was quite a showcase for the city. The Hamptons Golf Course is a 27-hole championship course located just off Magruder Boulevard, on Butler Farm Road. It was built by the city of Hampton in 1989. The Hamptons consists of three distinct nines, each with its own unique qualities. Golf lessons with PGA teaching professionals are available. The Clubhouse offers a Pro Shop and a full service restaurant and snack bar. The Hamptons continues to be one of the most played courses in the Tidewater area.

Fort Wool, a pre-civil war island fortification is located in the Hampton Roads Harbor near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Island. The facility was acquired by the state from the federal government in 1967 and then leased to the city in 1970. The fort, originally named Fort Calhoun was constructed in the early 1800's as a fortification to protect the shipping channel between Old Point Comfort and Willoughby Spit from attach by ships and submarines. Then Lt. Robert E. Lee supervised its ongoing construction from 1831 until 1834, and presidents Andrew Jackson, John Tyler and Abraham Lincoln visited or stayed at the fort.

The Grandview Nature Preserve was acquired in 1971. The 578 acre preserve is home to endangered species and species of concern, including the Least Tern and Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle. This undeveloped natural area is ideal for bird watching or a stroll along a 2 mile trail and beach. The adjacent Grundland Creek Park was acquired in 1972. This 74.6 acre site was formerly a Nike Missile site that was constructed to protect the east coast from aerial attacks and was closed after the Cold War. Today the park features an activity building, suited for community meetings and the water, adjacent to the property, is ideal for water related activities, nature and environmental programs. An Alpine Tower Ropes Course was developed for team building activities.

Bluebird Gap Farm was originally located on the site of the Hampton Coliseum. It opened there in 1966 and was then named "Old MacDonald's Farm." The farm was home to 105 domestic animals which were obtained through donations and indefinite loans. It was redeveloped at its current location on Pine Chapel Road in 1969. The facility offers a unique farm setting in an urban environment to provide children a first hand experience of life on a farm and allows them to see animals native to Virginia.

Land for Darling Stadium was donated to the city in 1928 by the Darling Estate exclusively for the construction of athletic facilities. The original stadium lasted until 1987, when it was torn down to make room for the new stadium that opened in 1989. The 8000-seat stadium is the home site of the four high schools.

Buckroe Beach Amusement Park closed in 1985 and the property along with the carousel was sold to the city in 1986. The park was demolished and a new park was opened in 1989. It was named Buckroe Park. The park offers picnic shelters, restrooms, and is host to many summer concerts including big bands and outdoor movies. On April 1, 2003, Buckroe opened the city's first "Bark Park", a fenced in area where citizens can bring their dogs and allow them to run, off leash, and socialize with other dogs. The carousel, originally located at the amusement park, was restored and relocated to downtown Hampton's Carousel Park. The park features a glass-enclosed pavilion that houses the carousel.

Sandy Bottom Nature Park is a 456 acre park located on Big Bethel Road. The park was a former borrow pit called Chisman Lake that was used by VDOT to construct I-64. The property was acquired in the early 1990's and the park was opened in 1995 and the Nature Center opened in 1996. The park features the nature center complete with aquariums, educational center, and conference room. The park also offers canoes and paddleboats, fishing, nature trails, picnic shelters, an amphitheater, indoor and outdoor classrooms, camping, and a variety of educational programs on wildlife and the environment. On September 15, 2003 Sandy Bottom opened the city's second "Bark Park" where citizens can bring their dogs and allow them to run, off leash, and socialize with other dogs.

Last, but certainly not least, there is the Hampton History Museum. The roots of the museum extend back some five decades. In 1952, Margaret Sinclair, a local teacher, put together a small display of artifacts, photographs, and documents at the old Syms-Eaton School in downtown Hampton. This very modest beginning led to a larger downtown storefront exhibit, then to a building on Mercury Boulevard in 1966. Adjacent to this Syms-Eaton Museum was a reconstructed Kecoughtan Indian Village. The museum was nationally recognized for it s inclusion of Native American and African American themes throughout its exhibits. An enthusiastic group of citizens assembled to form the Hampton History Museum Association and began seeking support for a permanent facility. Buoyed by a positive feasibility study and funded by City Council, the Association, made up entirely of volunteers, undertook the tasks of producing a design for the building as well as raising the funds to construct it. Using a public-private partnership, the Association was able to produce an impressive two story building on Old Hampton Lane which opened to the public on May 3, 2003.

The actual Parks and Recreation Department may have begun 40 years ago, but its roots span over a century. From its humble beginnings to the impressive, multi-faceted organization that exists today, the department has become an integral part of the lives and day-to-day activities of Hampton citizens and beyond.