Northside Recreation Center

Around 1890, dedicated persons from the Center Presbyterian Church, initially at the northwest corner of Washington and Pike Streets, felt a missionary movement was needed for youngsters living in the Northend of Crawfordsville. The program began in the county courthouse under the direction of Miss Hortense Holden and volunteers from Wabash College. The Center Church congregation noticed the number of children coming to the program continued to increase and outgrew the current building. Mr. A C Jennison donated the lot on North Grant, and the structure known as the Neighborhood Chapel (often the Neighborhood Mission) was built for $1800. The ladies of the church gave $200 for a furnace and furnishings. The formal dedication of the chapel was on Sunday, 16 December 1900. Speakers from Center Church and the First Presbyterian Church addressed the crowd and would later merge to become Wabash Presbyterian Church.

Many young people in the church and Wabash College students taught Sunday School classes and led recreation activities. Dora Harding Fullenwider served as its first superintendent. The children assisted in fundraising by staging an annual program presented in the Strand Theatre on Green Street. The mission assisted families in distress caused by poverty, joblessness, and alcoholism. The mission spoke loudly about its views on Temperance, often holding rallies to convince the city to abolish local saloons. Eventually, the mission house closed, but the building was used by the Free Methodists and then by the Church of the Nazarene.

When the city acquired the 12,000-square-foot building, it operated as the Northside Recreation Center. In the Parks and Recreation reports, the building was located at 308 North Grant Avenue and was officially the property of the Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church. The department paid no rent but was responsible for all maintenance and repair, including the playground equipment. Activities for elementary students included singing, crafts, games, storytelling hour, basketball, tumbling, billiards, trampoline, and cooking classes. Junior and senior high activities centered more around informal programming, including basketball, billiards, table tennis, tumbling, jukebox record playing, crafts, and dancing. Adult activities were usually held in the evening. Offerings included card playing, table tennis, billiards, and socializing time. Senior citizens had even more choices: Euchre Club, pitch-in dinners, the Friendship Club, exercise class, and a choral group called the Sunshine Singers. A transportation program for those over 60 who needed rides to doctors, the Social Security Office, and grocery shopping. Later, a nutrition program was established for persons over 60 that met at noon with socializing and activities while eating a hot lunch. Volunteers provided weekly income and insurance claim assistance.

Eventually, the building was razed, and the city created a pocket park with a shelter building and playground equipment named in honor of Frances Wooden, long-time director of the Northside Center. Frances was a pioneer and trailblazer for children and senior citizens. She taught the Northside children to be proud of their area and to keep it clean. When she retired 30 December 1982, she had worked with children more than 35 years. She ensured youngsters who were too poor to buy supplies never went without.

In September 2022, the city of Crawfordsville announced the Frances Wooden Northside Park would receive a complete update to the facility, with construction tentatively starting in the spring of 2023. An anonymous donor funded the project through the Montgomery County Community Foundation (MCCF) and the city of Crawfordsville. Because the Frances Wooden Northside Park is located by the historic Bethel AME Church in Crawfordsville and has ties to the Underground Railroad, it will showcase all aspects of this historical area. The park will feature historical snapshots of the site incorporated into five commemorative benches and the significance of Sugar Creek. New playground equipment will feature separate areas of playground equipment for younger and older children, and green spaces. In October 2023, a public input meeting was held at Bethel AME Church to allow community members time to view park plans, hear from community leaders on the project scope and provide their input.

This article concludes the series on staff, building caretakers, and alums of Lincoln School for Colored Children. If you have any information or questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Shannon Hudson at [email protected].