Research

Professor Joseph Cullon, Associate Head for Humanities and Associate Teaching Professor of History and Digital Humanities at WPI, gave a community lecture titled The Once and Future Institute Park on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at the The Park View Room, 230 Park Avenue, Worcester. The lecture was sponsored by ArtsWorcester, Friends of Institute Park, Mass Cultural Council, Preservation Worcester, Salisbury Cultural District, Worcester Arts Council and Worcester Historical Museum.

Worcester’s Salisbury Pond, a body of approximately 16 acres of water located near the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, is ready for the next chapter in its remarkable history. Once pristine, the pond’s water is now significantly polluted. The pond is an artificial lake that was created when a dam was constructed in the 19th century to supply power to the Washburn and Moen factory situated along nearby Grove Street. That factory was one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States and produced wire for a number of uses. Fortunately, the last half century of remediation

Worcester’s Institute Park is poised to take the next step in its storied history. A master plan for the construction of walkable pathways throughout the park, including walkways entirely surrounding Salisbury Pond, is now at hand. The master plan has come about following significant construction funded from local, state and federal sources. Such improvements include new paving of Salisbury Street, new crosswalks at West and Boynton streets, a new concert shell in the park with refined acoustical treatments, new park restrooms and concession complex, new and upgraded electrical power to the

The results of a benchscale study evaluating the feasibility of Salisbury Pond dredging. The purpose of the study was to better understand the sediment characteristic and simulate dredging and dewatering techniques methods to reduce disposal weight. Reduced sediment mass and water weight will reduce transport and disposal costs that, based on arsenic-impacts to sediment, are high.

The City of Worcester Department of Public Works and Parks hired Weston & Sampson to develop a Dredging Feasibility Study for Salisbury Pond. This approximately 16-acre pond is city owned and located adjacent to Institute Park in Worcester, Massachusetts. The watershed for the pond encompasses more than 14,000 acres of mostly urban developed land. Waters from the watershed drain into the pond from three inputs. This has resulted in significant infilling caused by the accumulation of large quantities of sediment over the course of many decades, within Salisbury Pond. The Feasibility Study

Institute Park is a community resource and a true jewel to the city of Worcester. It is surrounded by a vibrant mix of residential, institutional, and commercial properties. The Park’s history as the headwaters of the Blackstone River Corridor, as well as its use for summer concerts and other civic gatherings has allowed thousands of residents from Worcester over the years to benefit from the Park’s tremendous natural attributes. The principal objective for the master plan is to establish a strategy that will serve as a catalyst for making long-awaited improvements to what is perhaps Worcester