Monroe Parks and Recreation Department
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News: History of the Current Park Land

Date Published Author
3/1/2011 12:00:00 AM  Recreation Department 

1967–72 Over half of the current Park land was purchased and eastern portion developed utilizing federal, state and local funds.

1972–76 Great Hollow Lake constructed/excavated.

1973 – Park officially opened in August.

1976 – Senior Citizen’s picnic area developed with donation from Vitramon Corp.

1977 – Kiddie playground installed with Welcome Wagon donation.

1978 – Federal grant added Jr. soccer field A, diamond #4 and basketball court lighting.

1978 – Over 60 acres added by two purchases.

1982 – Concession stand constructed by Pop Warner football.

1987 – 92 acre donation by Charles J. Willinger, Jr., Trustee add land north of the lake.

1988 – Maintenance storage building completed with patio and bathroom adjacent to Senior Citizen’s picnic area.

1992 – Great Hollow Lake area completed in conjunction with State D.E.P. Grant and playground contributions from Junior Women’s Club and Juniorettes.

1992 – Kids Kreations playground built by the community with donated funds.

1995 – Iroquois Natural Gas Company donation add an east/west connecting trail and athletic fields north of lake.

1996 – Cutlers Farm Road reconstruction project adds/refurbishes stonewalls plus adds new plantings via a grant from CL&P.

1997 – Addition to Great Hollow playground installed with Jr. Women’s Club donation.

1998 – Donation from Iroquois Natural Gas Co. adds new trail.

1999 – Additional rest room building, access path and renovations added at pool bathhouse. Rails to Trails project (4.1 miles) connects park north to Monroe/Newtown border

2000 – Almost 70 acres added by two purchases brings park up to current size – 379 acres.

2002 – East playground renovation/upgrade.

2003 – Addition of basketball court lighting thanks to Panthers Basketball Camp, plus new water fountain compliments of Monroe Jaycees.

2004 – Addition/upgrade of Great Hollow playground via Youth Service Bureau grant.

2005 – Pavilion added to Concert picnic area compliments of Monroe Rotary Club with Twombly’s Nursery providing the landscaping.

2009- Changes and updates were made to the Ron Wallisa Memorial Pool to have a zero entry section.

2017-Tennis courts were refurbished to have seven full sized tennis courts and two regulation pickleball courts.

2021-Cedar Grove Picnic Area was renovated at Great Hollow Lake side of Wolfe Park

2022-Kids Kreation Playground renovation/updated to become Wolfe's Den Playground was donated by the community and led by the Monroe Playground Foundation. There were 1200 volunteers and in fourteen days with over 30,000 of service a new $700,000.00 inclusive playground was built.  

2023-Four additional pickleball overlay court lines were added to the Wolfe Park Tennis Courts along with four portable nets. (courts 6A & 6B and 7A & 7B)

2023-The Wolfe Park Field Project began to give the park two additional grass field areas to allow for the growing needs of the department and community space for soccer, lacrosse and other sport activities/events. One field is located behind the tennis courts and the other follows a path behind the Wolfe's Den Playground. (ground breaking on April 18, 2023 and completion date TBD) 

2023-The Wolfe Park Basketball Courts were completely redone with two post tension concrete base, four new hoops and two additional pickleball court overlay lines. Funds for this project came from the town's department program fund, operations fund and $150,000.00 grant from the State of CT. (September 12, 2023)