Landscape Information
Established in 1897 on land donated by Eliza Twitchell, Bethel Hill Common was intended to have a church as its anchor. When the church was not built Twitchell reclaimed the land, although residents continued to build homes on its perimeter and regard it as common open space. In 1823 the town officially acquired the land, although no substantial improvements were made until 1878, when the common was leveled, enclosed with a wooden fence, and planted with lawn and a perimeter of American elms. In 1900 a beautification project created a more park-like setting, with planting beds of shrubs and perennials, a watering trough, street lamps, meandering paths, and a circular fountain. In the 1960s the perimeter trees succumbed to Dutch elm disease and were replaced with maples; a monument to World Wars I and II and the Korean War was also added. The circular fountain was updated in 1980, and a gazebo now anchors the south side of the site.
At roughly three acres, the oval-shaped common is still bordered by historic buildings, including the Dr. Moses Mason House and the Bethel Inn Resort, which opened in 1913 to serve mental health patients. The common was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 as part of the Broad Street Historic District.
