Cookson Field’s name misleads, as is quite a bit more than a field. It features a network of hiking trails, remnants of an old baseball field, and the skeleton of a playground, wooden benches, and a picnic area with fireplaces. It is an interesting space, as it is sandwiched in the middle of a residential area on the slope of College Hill.

As of yet, no comprehensive design for the park has been completed or implemented. In 1936, the Works Progress Administration cleaned up the space. The amenities I named above were only implemented as funding became available, and many are now in a state of disrepair. No Little League was played there since the mid 1980s, when play was suspended because the field was in such poor condition.

This park is named after Mayor Walter Cookson, who died in office on June 11th, 1936 – suffering from a heart attack while attending the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, only a few months after being elected mayor of Worcester. The city acquired the park in 1936, just days before Mayor Cookson died.

The Parks Stewards Summer Work Program had a work site at Cookson Field during the summer of 2016, creating a youth presence in the park every day and making general park improvements. One other interesting tidbit is that the signage at the space says ‘Cookson Park’ although it is officially called ‘Cookson Field’