The first home of Fryeburg Academy, incorporated in 1792, this 30-acre property housed the institution until its sole building burned. The property, owned by the Bradley family, became known as Pine Hill Common. In 1904 the site served as an informal war memorial, where two cannons and stacks of cannonballs were installed on a level terrace in the shade of mature elms. In 1920 the land was donated to the town, with the stipulation that it should be a bird sanctuary and available for children’s play, but not for adult athletics. The Bradley family also reserved the right to add memorials, which officially began in 1920 with a boulder and plaque that dedicated the park as a living war memorial. Soon after, a list of veterans’ names carved on a wooden sign was added. In 1979 the sign was replaced with a more permanent memorial composed of a stone foundation, capped pillars, and a glass-covered list of 1,000 veterans’ names. This list was updated in 2003.
Today, the park’s only open acre, adjacent to downtown Fryeburg, includes an expanse of lawn with a bandstand, flagpoles, street trees, and the memorials with symmetrical clustered plantings of yew, crabapples, and Norway spruces. The remaining 29 acres of the park are mostly forested, with paths leading to Village Rock, the park’s high point which offers views of the town and nearby White Mountains.
