Page 8 - MAY2022

Page 8
Community
By: William nieman
The term “concession” has multiple meanings. Three of them will be highlighted in the following community article.
1. A concession can simply be a grant of land like the land purchased in 1902 with a bequest of money (about $15,000) from William G. Kelley to the Town of Bristol.
William Kelley was a man with striking features. Most no- ticeable was his dark bushy beard and a pompadour rising above his forehead that at times looked like a crow nesting. His eyes were piercing yet sensitive, revealing the thoughtfulness of the inner man. Exemplifying that thought- fulness was the time he spent musing over who should benefit from his legacy. Before convey- ing the money to Bristol, he had given serious consideration to bequeathing the money (all of it) to the New Hampshire Orphans Home in Franklin.
Kelley’s money for a pub- lic park came with a few strings
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
A “Concession” For Kelley Park
May 2022
attached. Most importantly, he wanted the park to be main- tained and improved upon with the passage of time. It is to those conditions that we now follow in our narrative.
During the 20th century, Kelley Park was the venue for many annual community events. Summer meant baseball games, carnivals, and fireworks. Surprisingly, winter provided the weather for some of Kel- ley Park’s best-attended events. The Pasquaney Snowshoe Club sponsored one snowy event of note. Taking place in the winter of 1922, it was attended by over 500 enthusiastic skaters and to- bogganers, some of whom had come to Bristol from as far away as Boston. During the 1900s, Bristol kept its bargain with Wil- liam Kelley to maintain and im- prove the park as best as possible. Ballfields were constructed. The fields were manicured, backstops were built, and spectator stands were erected. Late in the 1900s, a building intended to be a conces-
Proposed building structure
sion stand and refreshment cen- ter was built, and a tennis court and basketball court were added to the sports facilities. Later, a well-equipped child’s playground and pavilion were added during
this century.
2. A concession is a facility
usually found at a recreational venue for food storage, prepara- tion, and dispensing, often with an outdoor dining area and bath- rooms.
There is a small, concrete block building at the south end of Kelley Park, below the New- found Bears Scoreboard. It was initially designated as a conces-
KELLEY PARK
continued on page 9
eagle pond studio ARCHITECTS
KELLEY PARK BUILDING RENOVATION OF EXISTING PAVILION & CONCESSION
Newfound Sales Inc. & Trading Post
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