Presque Isle: The Star City - Riverside Park and Arboretum

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Riverside Park and Arboretum

Text by Cody and Jhis, students at Presque Isle Middle School
Edited by Presque Isle Historical Society

Construction on Riverside Park began in 1976 to coincide with America’s Bicentennial. However, due to regulatory and weather delays as well as the State Street Bridge reconstruction project, completion was delayed until the spring of 1980.
The 4.4 acre park space includes soccer and softball fields, a 30’ x 90’ support building, a lighted multi-use area, playground and picnic areas, boat ramp, gazebo and more. An arboretum which contains more than 20 species of trees was established in 1995.
In Presque Isle’s early history, citizens skated on the stream immediately adjacent to the park. Years later, the skating rink moved onto land now part of Riverside Park and served by a warming hut that is now the support building. With the opening of the Forum Building in 1975, ice skating was moved to that facility.

Sources:
Haskell, William V. Recreation: A Lifetime Adventure, A History of the Presque Isle Recreation Program from the Late 1920s to 1982. 1983.City of Presque Isle website

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