CUMMINGTON SQUARE

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Historical Notes

CUMMINGTON SQUARE IS PART OF THE ORIGINAL CROWN PATENT OF 200 AC. GRANTED IN 1784 TO THOMAS CUMMINGS. THOMAS CUMMINGS WAS A FOUNDING FATHER OF CHIPPAWA AND A LEADING CITIZEN. BOTH THOMAS AND HIS SON JAMES WERE PROMINENT MERCHANTS CONTRIBUTING TO THE EARLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF CHIPPAWA. CUMMINGS AND HIS DESCENDANTS DEDICATED THE LANDS TO THE MUNICIPALITY AS A VILLAGE SQUARE AND A SITE FOR A TOWN HALL. A TOWN HALL WAS NEVER BUILT ON THIS SITE. THE SQUARE IS FLANKED ON ALL FOUR SIDES BY STREETS. CENTRALLY LOCATED IN THE CHIPPAWA BUSINESS DISTRICT IT SERVED AS THE HUB OF ACTIVITY SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. MANY OF THESE SAME 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY BUILDINGS STILL FACE THE SQUARE. CUMMINGTON SQUARE IS A PUBLIC PARK WHICH HAS CONTINUOUSLY SERVED AS THE CENTRE FOR COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES. CITIZENS HAVE GATHERED THERE TO ENJOY MUSIC PLAYED IN THE BANDSTAND, ATTEND A MEMORIAL EVENT OR TO PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF THE MANY PUBLIC FUNCTIONS. THE SQUARE HAS BEEN USED TO HONOUR THOSE WHO FOUGHT IN WW 1, WW 2 AND THE KOREAN WAR. THE SQUARE HOLDS SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL VALUE BECAUSE OF ITS ASSOCIATION WITH AN EARLY SETTLER AND BUSINESS OPERATOR, ITS CONNECTION TO EARLY COMMERCIAL LIFE, ITS IMPORTANCE AS A PUBLIC PLACE FOR CIVIC ACTIVITIES AND ITS PRESENCE AS A PARK USED TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY'S RESIDENTS.

Architectural Notes

CUMMINGTON SQUARE IS A PUBLIC PARK DEDICATED FOR THE USE OF ALL CITIZENS. THE SHAPE OF CUMMINGTON SQUARE IS THAT OF A RECTANGLE HAVING HAD A PORTION OF THE SQUARE TAKEN IN 1958 TO CREATE PARKING SPACES ALONG THE EAST SIDE. THE SQUARE IS DELINEATED BY STREETS ON ALL FOUR SIDES. THE SQUARE IS A LEVEL PLOT OF GROUND COVERED WITH GRASS AND CROSSED BY CONCRETE PATHWAYS. THE LIGHT POLES AND HEADS ARE MODERN; PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ORIGINAL FIXTURES ARE AVAILABLE. THE BANDSTAND OCCUPIES THE LOCATION AND FOOTPRINT OF THE FIRST BANDSTAND ERECTED IN THE 1920'S. THE CURRENT STRUCTURE IS MUCH ALTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL APPEARANCE, SUCH THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY ANY SIGNIFICANT ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES. IT IS THE LOCATION, SHAPE, SIZE GENERAL FORM AND LONG HISTORY AS A PLACE FOR MUSIC WHICH ARE OF IMPORTANCE. THE CENOTAPH/WAR MEMORIAL INCLUDING THE FENCE AND FLAG POLE ARE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS PHYSICALLY AND SOCIALLY. THESE ELEMENTS WERE ALTERED DURING AN UPGRADING OF THE SQUARE IN THE LATE 1990'S THEY ARE MAINTAINED BY THE CITY IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION-CHIPPAWA BR. 396 AS IS A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE LOCATED ON THE BASE OF THE BANDSTAND. A PARKS CANADA HERITAGE PLAQUE IS LOCATED IN THE SQUARE WHICH OUTLINES THE HISTORY OF CHIPPAWA.