Francis William Bird Park

Francis William Bird Park is an 89-acre landscaped park created and endowed in 1925 by Charles Sumner Bird, Sr. and his wife Anna in memory of their eldest son, Francis William Bird (1881-1918). Over three miles of walking paths wind through the park, traversing streams via old granite bridges and passing through rolling, grassy meadows punctuated with mature shade trees, tree groves, and ponds.

Noted landscape architect and town planner John Nolen designed the park. A social reformer, Nolen believed that parks were critical to the health of urban residents and should be designed to provide a place of respite and relaxation in nature. In his original design plan, Nolen wrote that this park should be "a sequestered breathing place in the heart of East Walpole…a combination of broad, sun-swept meadow lands, speckled with shadowed glades, higher tree-screened knolls for the lover of shade, the whole set to the music of a babbling stream." Although generations have passed since the park was created, much of Nolen's original vision continues to this day, as visitors enjoy the recreational, social, and educational opportunities that this scenic landscape offers.

Recognizing the need for many forms of recreation, the Bird family at the same time provided a sister property for active sports. Now known as Ellis Field, the nearby 7-acre recreation area (at June and East Streets) was originally used by workers from the Bird mills. It continues to serve the community today as the site of active team athletics.