Reed Community House & Bailey Memorial Playfield

33 Summer St # A, Kingston, MA 02364, USA

781-585-0533

https://kingstonma.myrec.com/info/facilities/details.aspx?FacilityID=14702

Owned By: Town of Kingston

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The headquarters for Kingston’s Recreation department, offering various classes and programs. Indoor spaces available to rent for classes and functions. Baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts. Right Field Playground is immediately adjacent (to the rear).

Features

The Capt. Fred L. Bailey Playground was constructed on this site in 1923 by a group of volunteers, led by Fred Bailey. Five acres of land were donated by Dr.& Mrs. Archer O’Reilly, and a series of 3 Town Fairs were held to generate funding for the project. The fields were leveled and a spring-fed pond was filled in to create the wide, flat area now transformed into athletic fields. Kingston High School teams practiced and played here until 1955, when Kingston joined the Silver Lake Regional School District.

In 1926, Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Reed of Worcester presented the stately Reed Community House as a gift to the town. The building was designed by S. Lincoln Rhodes. Edgar Reed was a descendant of Kingston resident and inventor, Jesse Reed.

More recently, Community Preservation Funds helped to furnish, restore and maintain this property. This land is within the region of the Patuxet, members of the Wampanoag tribe, who inhabited the area around the Jones River now known as Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth.

Trail Description

No trails, but this large property offers ample space for a walk along the edges of the playing fields. The parking area is on the side of a hill, with a relatively steep decline.

Habitats and Wildlife

The grounds of Reed Community House are grassy, with some shade trees along the perimeter.

This property is within the watershed of Halls Brook. Halls Brook finds its source above Bracketts Pond in Kingston and winds from the western part of town, and through the downtown area. Just west of Route 3, it flows into the Jones River.

The Jones River finds its source at Silver Lake and other brooks and springs in Pembroke, Halifax and Kingston. It flows for 7.5 miles through Kingston, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean at Kingston Bay. Follow the Jones River Watershed Association for more information.