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 When Lura Phillips died in 1994, she left her house to be sold for the Meadow. That money, which had grown to over $182,000 by 2013, was used as the "seed money" to start and complete the Meadow renovation.

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It took a total of 2 years to renovate the Meadow, which introduced a brand-new playground, a 6000-pound granite whale, loads of new flowers, plants and trees, a Native Shade Garden, and a completely new Mill Brook that is a return to the historic brook. The Rockport Garden Club created three new gardens.

                     

In 2012  Rockport Garden Club and Millbrook Meadow Committee members looked at the Mill Pond, full of sediment and cattails, and the Mill Brook, which often flooded its banks, with many trees that were dying or in poor health. They determined to begin a complete restoration.  Gunilla Caulfield, Trustee of Lura’s fund, arranged to donate the fund to the Town to provide the ”seed money” to start the restoration. The Town voted to add to this money, and with the Town Community Preservation fund and many private donations from citizens, private funds and businesses, preparations started in 2013.

 

Milone & McBroom of Cheshire, CT did the work of studying the project, listening to what Rockporters wanted with their park, drilling for test samples, chasing down deeds, obtaining permits and designing the project.  SumCo Environmental of Salem did the dredging, and then restored the Meadow.  Rockport’s Department of Public Works provided support and coordination throughout the restoration work.

 

The restoration began with dredging the Mill Pond. Over 3000 tons of sediment and 5000 sq. ft. of cattails were removed, the granite edges were rebuilt, a new stairway into the pond was built, and new grasses and trees planted. The smaller Frog Pond in the Meadow was also dredged and rebuilt.

 

In 2018, SumCo removed the straight, granite-lined Mill Brook that has been in place since 1946 and built a winding brook, following the historic creek bed. They built new granite walls and installed stone and plant features all along the new brook to make it more suitable for plants, wildlife and human visitors.

 

The newly built, winding Brook got a major test when the Friends of the Council on Aging released over 900 rubber ducks in the stream. This is an annual fundraiser for programs for Rockport’s elders.

 

As before, Retired Rockport Police Sergeant Roger Lesch led a team to “arrest” the winning ducks, and all who come after, before they can flow under Beach Street to Front Beach.

 

The “Millie” sculpture was carved by Thomas Berger of Kittery, Maine from Rockport granite. The whale and the new playground are both provided by private donations. 

 

“We are grateful to the people of Rockport, whose Community Preservation fund paid for two thirds of this project. Friends of the Meadow, including Lura, donated over $560,000,” said Sam Coulbourn, Millbrook Meadow Chairman.  “Lura called the Meadow her ‘Magic Place’. We hope visitors will find it theirs, as well.” Coulbourn added.