House in middle of park took on a variety of roles
LITTLEBOROUGH (Hare Hill) Park opened on Saturday, May 4, 1901.
The Hart Hill estate, which was rented by the district council from Major Newall, was formally opened to the public as a recreation ground.
The estate is situated practically in the centre of the village and the house itself was used as council offices, school board offices, a free library and museum.
On the day of the opening, a procession assembled on the square shortly before 3pm and proceeded onto Hare Hill Road to the site of the ceremony, with a band playing selections of music en route.
Members of the fire brigade, officers and members of the district council, members of the school board, clergy, teachers and children took part in the procession.
As the children - about 1,800 in number - passed up the avenue leading to the house they were each given a bun and an orange, paid for by voluntary donations by a number of gentlemen.
An article in the Rochdale Times on May 8, 1901, read: “The day was gloriously fine and all that could be wished for on the occasion of a ceremony like this and the children, being mostly dressed in white, made a very pretty spectacle.”
During the opening ceremony, the hymn All People that on Earth do Dwell was sung, accompanied by the band, and speeches were given by prominent local gentlemen.
The event was presided over by Mr Geo Taylor, chairman of the recreation committee.
Mr Molesworth outlined the history of the hall. He had in his possession an old plan, dated about 1770, before the present house was built on the site.
The plan, instead of marking the houses in the district, showed little pictures of them in very accurate detail, depicting them as they stood at the time.
The plan showed that, in 1770, the village consisted of 18 houses and the church and the little pictures even showed the stocks standing inside the churchyard gate.
The house that stood on the Hare Hill estate was built by the great grandfather of Major Newall in 1776. Prior to that there had not been any building on the site at all.
The two fields that the district council then bought were four fields in 1770 - the top one where the house now stands was called Hare Hill and Verming Holme and the field that was going to be devoted to the recreation of the children was called Town Field.
The proceedings on the day that Littleborough Park opened were brought to a close by a rendition of the national anthem, before the members of the council and school board were then invited to tea at the house of Mr Geo Taylor.