Bob McKean, Stanley Park’ director, puts his thumbprint on the sidewalk outside of the new pavilion, next to that of Ward Caswelll, great grandson of Frank Stanley Beveridge, and president of the Beveridge Family Foundation. McKean said he is “very happy” with the project. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Following four years of preparation, major construction has been completed on the new Frank Stanley Beveridge Pavilion at Stanley Park, and the project has entered the “punch list” phase, according to Park Director Bob McKean.
The construction, which cost $1.6 million to date, began in April and finished in November. Parts for the pavilion itself came in ten different trucks from the midwest. McKean said a lot of the construction is underground, including the 24 cement piers which hold up the roof, are four and a half feet wide, and go down eight to 13 feet in the ground.
There is also underground drainage around the pavilion and kitchen which leads into a holding pond on the side.
“There’s a lot of money underground,” McKean said.
The roof is metal on top and wood underneath, which McKean said will enhance the acoustics. A stage will be built on one end and come out 18 to 20 feet, and the roof is fully wired for sound systems. All of the Sunday night concerts will be held at the pavilion, beginning the first week of June. The pavilion is also designed to hold weddings and receptions.
The layout for the pavilion area includes a grassy area at the end, which McKean calls “Little Tanglewood.” He said park goers will also be able to sit on the lawn and listen to concerts there. He’s not sure how many people the area will hold. The lawn will be seeded and landscaped in the spring. They tried to start it this summer, but the seed washed out.
“Everything is irrigated,” McKean said.
Next to the new Beveridge Pavilion at Stanley Park is the Enchanted Oak, a 230-year-old tree important to Frank Stanley Beveridge. Bob McKean, park director, said building the new pavilion is “like planting a tree. We’re paying it forward.” (Photo by Amy Porter)
Some of the items on the punch list include tables and chairs for the pavilion. These will be kept in a shed next to the kitchen, also on the punch list, which will also serve as a “green room” for talent.
The kitchen itself, which was built by the Beveridge Family Foundation, is fully equipped with heaters, a convection oven, gas stoves, grill, a walk-in cooler, and what will be a serving window to the outside.
McKean said Westfield Bank was another major donor to the pavilion project, as well as staff and board members who gave 100 percent, and “anted” up what they could afford. He wants to hold a social event for donors and all the people who worked on the pavilion sometime in April or early May, and have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at that time.
McKean would also like to raise another $600,000 to complete the project. Stanley Park is a private non-profit park that relies on donations. Park goers may become members of Partners in Preservation, or make memorial pledges in a loved one’s name. Use of the park is free to the public, although they do charge for weddings and professional photography, he said. All of the money raised goes back into the park.
One of the nicest aspects of the new pavilion area is that it sits next to the Enchanted Oak, a 230 year old tree that was important to Frank Stanley Beveridge. McKean said Beveridge and his friends would take pilgrimages there, and stop at the Enchanted Oak.
“That’s very imperative to our history,” he said. “Once we’re all done, I’d like to see a covered bridge there.”
McKean said he is very happy with the Pavilion project, and is looking forward to having a good time there.
“It’s like planting a tree,” he said. “We’re paying it forward.”
