Winnekenni Park

Historical Background

Haverhill’s largest park, Winnekenni, is one of our most popular and well-known parks. The park boasts 700 acres and about 9 and a half miles of trails as well as a wide range of activities to enjoy from hiking and biking to more leisurely activities such as tennis and sledding. Originally the park was owned by Dr. James R. Nichols who bought the property in 1861 to experiment with chemical fertilizers. During a trip to England Dr. Nichols became inspired by the countries castles that he decided to create his own to use as a summer home. Construction began on the castle in 1873 and ended two years later in 1875. Another interesting fact about the castle is that when he was constructing the castle, Dr. Nichols used the local glacial boulders that were very common on New England Farms to try to prove to local farmers that the stones they constantly dug up could be used for more than just property lines. In 1895 the castle and the surrounding property was sold to the city of Haverhill and became the city's first public park.

Environmental Features

The park is also a prime example of Haverhill's distinctive glacial drumlins. Clear evidence of glacial movement can be found throughout the park. The park is also home to many different types of greenery from coniferous softwood trees like Hemlock and White pine, to deciduous hardwoods like Red Oak and American Beech. The park also plays host to a diverse range of wildlife such as Canada Geese, Blue Heron, Woodpeckers, as well as a few types of turtles.