Lisa Gilbert

Chatham once had a Victoria Park on land between Murray Street and Gaol Street, now Stanley Avenue. Established as public property in 1850 and developed in 1869 under the leadership of Anglican Archdeacon Francis William Sandys, the park featured circular drives, gravel walks, flower beds, a gazebo and recreational areas. After Sandys’s death in 1894, it deteriorated and became increasingly peripheral as Chatham expanded. The property was later used for wartime gardens, farming and eventually a football field and track for local high schools. Victoria Park School was built on part of the site, while other organized recreation moved to what became Rotary Park. The former park’s name and some open land remain as historical vestiges.