A Field for All

The History of Doyle Field

By David Crowley
Leominster High School
Fitchburg State Local History Conference
February, 1988

INTRODUCTION

“Today a chapter is being added to the history of Leominster, the importance of which can hardly be estimated.” Frederic T. Platt, former mayor of Leominster, summarizes Doyle Field best in this quote given during the Dedication Ceremonies of Doyle Field in 1931.

Since its dedication Doyle Field has played a big role in the history of Leominster. The spacious field has beautified the city, and provided enjoyment for all people of the area, not just the residents of Leominster

The 21-acre site consists of a 240 foot-long, 440 foot-wide football gridiron with accompanying bleachers, two baseball diamonds, one soccer field, a one quarter-mile running track, a skating area with a rink, basketball courts, four tennis courts, and a large clubhouse. When the field was first constructed, it was considered to be the most modern facility of its kind in the entire country. Today, it is still one of the most impressive fields in the area, in part due to the hard work put in by the current Doyle Field Commission, Amerigo Spacciapoli, Joseph Love, and Richard J.Keogh.

Those who use the field should be reminded of the hard work and great effort that went into the securing of the site, the actual construction, and the maintenance of the field, as well as the public spirit and zeal of the man who was responsible for the field, Bernard W. Doyle.

B. W. DOYLE: THE MAN

Bernard Wendaell Doyle was a businessman, politician, and sportsman. He was born in Leominster October 29, 1873. He graduated from Leominster High School in 1891 and attended Eastman College in Poughkeepsie, New York. He returned to Leominster, and after working at the Horn Supply Company, Doyle helped to establish The Viscoloid Company. Doyle’s work at the Viscoloid pioneered the pyroxylin plastic industry which has made Leominster so famous. In addition to his work in the plastics field, Doyle also was one of the founders of Merchants National Bank in Leominster and a trustee of the Leominster Savings Bank.

Doyle was an avid Republican, and he attended two Republican National Conventions, in 1920 and in 1924. He twice served as city arbitrator for Leominster, and was elected as mayor in 1925. During his four years as mayor, Doyle provided Leominster with great leadership and was always ready to lend a helping hand to community projects. Later, Doyle ran for congress in Massachusetts, but lost, probably because not many voters were familiar with his contributions to his community.

Doyle was extremely fond of outdoor sports, especially fishing, hunting and yachting. Doyle held membership in many sports clubs including the Boston Athletic Association, the Oak Hill Country Club, the Monoosnock Country Club, the Leominster Country Club, the Worcester Country Club, the Eastern and Corinthian yacht clubs of Marblehead, the Algonquin Club of Boston, the Fay Club of Fitchburg, the Izaak Walton League, and the Kedgewick River Sport Club of Canada.

More than anything else, though, Doyle loved his city and his people. His great generosity and civic pride was probably most evident in his gift of Doyle Field.

ORIGINS AND DESIGNS OF THE FIELD

Near the end of his term as mayor of Leominster, in early 1929, Bernard W. Doyle consulted Raymond L. Middlemas, at that time, treasurer of the Leominster Savings Bank, and told him that he was interested in providing more adequate recreational facilities for the city and its people. He said that he wanted to start taking some steps toward the development of this idea.

Middlemas agreed with Doyle’s views and formed a committee of himself, John M. McPhee, and Bertram H. Hayes, to find and purchase land for the development of the recreational area. Middlemas and his committee decided on the old trotting park on Priest Street, and the purchase was authorized by Doyle in March.

The grounds at Priest Street had been associated with sporting events in Leominster for about fifty years. There had been horse racing, dog racing, baseball games, football games, carnivals, circuses, gambling games, cattle shows and many other events to entertain the people.

The land was first owned by Walter T. Robbins and John Pierce, who had together built the trotting park, which was one of the best racing courses in the area at the time. Besides the half-mile racing track, there were grandstands filled with gamblers and spectators alike, and stables maintained by William Dalrymple, who trained some of the swiftest horses of the day. Eventually, the popularity of the horse racing diminished, and after the deaths of Pierce and Robbins, the land was split into building lots and sold to various people.

Middlemas, McPhee and Hayes began a long series of negotiations to purchase the tract of land from its present owners. Middlemas had to make several trips to New York, Newton, and Jamaica Plain as well as a few trips to as far south as Baltimore and West Virginia where some people had claims to the land. Middlemas finally made an agreement for Doyle to purchase the land, but not before the city had torn down the grandstands and stables and four or five streets had been laid down. Three houses also had been erected before the purchase by Doyle. The construction was discontinued, and the three new houses were to be moved from their original location to Grand Street, one of the bordering roads.

On April 2, 1929, John Moran and his workers from Fitchburg began to relocate the three houses built on the new streets to their newly constructed foundations on Grand Street. In the meantime, Middlemas was meeting with Herbert J. Kelloway, the chief architect, to discuss the plans for the field and to decide who would do the excavating and grading.

The Tragia Construction Company was appointed by Middlemas to do the excavating, which began with tearing up the streets which had recently been laid. After that, the Tragia Company began to excavate the land where the football stadium stands, it was necessary to move 30,200 cubic yards of land from this spot, which would later be used as the topsoil of the baseball fields and running track.

The next step was to grade the field with soil excavated from the sides of streets which were being widened by the highway department. This presented a problem for Tragia because this soil wasn’t the kind of material suitable for the purpose. The soil taken from the roadsides was very rocky and full of roots and brush. Tragia explained this to Middlemas, and the committee investigated the loam at Burchstead Farm, a 36- acre farm which was located on Nashua Street, and found it was what Tragia needed for grading the field. Middlemas proceeded to purchase Burchstead Farm and Tragia began to dig the loam with a power shovel and haul it to the field. The soil taken from the side of the streets was used for the sub-filling of about six inches, which then was covered with four to six inches of the Burchstead loam.

Kelloway decided that the drainage system for the field should be in a turtleback design. A turtleback field features catch basins around the sidelines with the middle of the field raised about a foot. This way the water runs off the field into the catch basins and keeps large puddles off the field. Kelloway had 18 catchbasins installed around the sidelines for the drainage system.

In the meantime, The Profitt and White Construction Company were building the clubhouse designed by Architect M. A. Dyer. This building was equipped with the most modern devices of the time. Each locker room was equipped with six showers, heated by five gigantic heaters which supplied 50 gallons of water a minute for each shower. The plumbing and heating for the clubhouse was done by the Cragin and Wilkins Company. The ventilation was very modern, as the touch of a button would activate powerful blowers to change the air. The home team locker room was equipped with a large room filled with rubbing tables and first aid equipment. The storage room was complete with blowers to dry soggy uniforms if necessary. All other electrical work was done by the Gettens Electric Company.

The field began to really take shape during the summer of 1930. In early July, city forester David E. Bassett used more than 4 tons of chemical fertilizer and 700 pounds of grass seed on the field.The quarter-mile running track was filled with 4,090 square yards of cinders.The Anchor Post Fence Company surrounded the field with one of the largest post chain link fences ever at the time. Concrete walks stretching 3,000 yards were laid down connecting various parts of the field, and trees and shrubbery were planted around the field. Twenty pine oaks, 41 Norway maples, 42 sugar maples, 17 poplars, 22 white pines, and approximately 1,000 barberry hedges were originally planted, and most are still thriving at Doyle Field today.

Construction continued around the football gridiron, as a covered press box, complete with tables, chairs, and telephones was being erected. The Leominster Electric Light & Power Company installed ten, 600-candlepower lights to illuminate the field for evening activities. The bleachers were also being constructed; when finished, they could seat 6,200 people. For big games, the end zone could be closed and portable bleachers added to hold nearly 10,000 people overall.

Work was finally completed in early October of 1931, after $200,000 was spent and more than two years past after Bernard Doyle visited Raymond Middlemas and gave him his idea for the athletic field. The field was completed, but it was not yet the City of Leominster’s property.

DOYLE FIELD DEDICATION CEREMONIES

October 10, 1931 was a day that Leominster would never forget. The official dedication of the Doyle Athletic Field took place on an early autumn Saturday. It was not only a big day in the athletic history of Leominster but also in the life of the community.

A gala ceremony was planned for the day, including athletic events, a speaking program, musical entertainment, and even stunt flying from a bi-plane. The two Massachusetts senators, David I. Walsh and Marcus A Coolidge, attended the festivities, as well as present Mayor Frederic T. Platt and Judge J. Ward Healey. the Publicity Committee, Raymond Middlemas, Wallace Cameron, Walter Deacon, John Watson, and William E. Yeaw. Also invited were Earnest Gamnache, secretary of the Winter Olympic Committee, who wasn’t able to attend, Lou Little, the football coach at Columbia University and Bernard Doyle, the donor’s father, both of whom were present.

The day began with a track meet at 9:30 a. m. between the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes at Leominster High School. The events included the 100, 220, 440 and 880 yard dashes, a ten-man relay race, and a mile run. W. H. Perry, Walter Deacon and Stanley Burnham were in charge of the track meet. At 10:30, a baseball game pitting Whitney Carriage against DuPont-Viscoloid was played to decide the City League Championship. Whitney Carriage won the exciting game by an 8-7 score. J. Harry Doyle and Edward A. Merrick were the committee in charge of the baseball game.

The dedication ceremonies began at 1:15 p. m. in front of a huge crowd of well over 5,000 people. First was the flag raising and salute by the Boy and Girl Scouts. Then a parade of the Leominster Eagles Drum Corps and the American Legion Fife, Bugle and Drum Corps marched into stadium followed by the participants in the speaking program, including the two state senators, and the Dedication Committee of Middlemas, Platt, Healey, William H. Perry, R. L. Chandler, Louis A. Jalbert, George H. Harrison and the donor himself, Bernard W. Doyle.

The formal presentation began at 1:45 p.m. with Bernard W. Doyle’s presentation of the deed of Doyle Field to Mayor Platt. In his speech, Doyle said, “I believe athletc sports have a proper and necessary place in the education of youth and in the development of both character and physique. I also believe that wholesome sport for all ages and classes of people is good for the community.”

Following Doyle’s presentation, Senators Walsh and Coolidge delivered speeches to the large crowd. At 2:30 p.m., the ladies drill teams from the American Legion Auxiliary, Saint Cecilia’s and the Leominster Eagles Auxiliary performed. Following the ladies were the Fife, Bugle and Drum Corps from the American Legion and the Drum Corps from the Leominster Eagles performing again. J. Harry Doyle and Louis A. Jalbert were responsible for the Exhibitions.

Girls Field Hockey between two teams from the high school followed at 3:30 p.m. An exhibition football game was played in the stadium between the second and third teams from the high school at 4:00 p.m. The first varsity football game was played the following Monday, October 12, between Leominster High School and Rogers High of Newport. Charles B. Broderick, Lancelot Fowler, and Mary Mullens organized the football and field hockey games.

The dedication ceremonies were a huge success, drawing thousands of people and keeping them entertained for nearly eight hours. More importantly, however, Bernard W. Doyle gave Leominster a gift which is still the center of the city’s wide variety of activities.

TODAY’ S DOYLE FIELD

Doyle Field is still widely used by the people of Leominster. It is not unusual to find the running track swarmed with walkers, joggers and runners, all looking for some safe, healthy exercise. The tennis courts are always occupied, and children can often be found playing games on the grassy field.

Leominster High School’s athletic program depends on Doyle Field. The baseball team, tennis teams, and, of course, the football team all use Doyle Field as their home grounds. Many an important game has been fought and won at Doyle Field. In 1983, the 100th game of the rivalry between Fitchburg High School and Leominster High School was staged at Doyle Field. Many civic events have been and still are held at Doyle Field. For the last few years, Leominster has concluded their concert series with an outdoor performance at the field. Symphonies and other musical groups have displayed their talents over the years. In past years the city bought fireworks from New Hampshire and had a production at the end of the evening. The city also brought in the Massachusetts National Guard with cannons which were launched as the symphony orchestra played the 1812 Overture. This is probably the biggest civic project of the year for the city, and it takes time to prepare for it. The concert is advertised within a 25-mile radius. People are invited to bring blankets and chairs and enjoy great music outdoors. Crowds of well over 2,000 people have attended these concerts, making them a huge success.

Doyle Field has been a big part of life in Leominster over the past half century, and with the growth of the city and the young families moving in, generations of Leominster residents will reap the benefits of Bernard W.Doyle’s gift to his beloved city and people.