About the Project:
In 2019, the Community Preservation Commission awarded funding for the creation of a master plan for Thomas Brooks Park. This important landscape represents all periods of our history. The park required plans for restoration, amenities to improve accessibility, and to determine how best to interpret the past. Hedlund Design Group and consultants worked with the Commission to develop a multi-year project. The Commission has undertaken some work and will be looking to keep the public informed as we move forward with the next phase of work.

Public Meeting:
The public was invited to join us at our next public meeting where we unveiled plans to interpret the Thomas Brooks House site and Pompeii’s Wall. We will also provide updates on the next round of work at the park which has been fully funded by the Community Preservation Commission.

Meeting Recording:
If you were not able to participate in the meeting via Zoom, you can find a recording of our presentation on Medford Community Media. Click here to be taken to their website to view the recording.

Meeting Slideshow:
The slides for the October 22 meeting are included below for download. You can also view the presentation on Medford Community Media as noted above.

Archaeological Protection Conceptual Design:
Landscape Architect Peter Hedlund was hired to prepare an amendment to the master plan. This amendment would address the need to protect the archaeologically sensitive areas within Thomas Brooks Park. The focal area of protection is around the former Thomas Brooks House site and Pompeii’s Wall. The design establishes an interpretive walk that will help highlight four centuries of local history while capping the subsurface features hidden below grade. This work will be be refined in the future once we have completed a second phase of critical work which has been fully funded by the Community Preservation Committee.

Master Plan:
You can read the master plan by downloading it or browsing it below:

Pomp’s Wall and Field Stone Wall Restorations
In 2023, the Commission undertook restoration efforts of the two walls that border Grove Street. For the first time in a century, the park has a complete wall from end to end. The brick masonry wall was rebuilt by Richard McGrath of Lunenburg, Massachusetts, and his team of skilled masons. The wall is an important reminder of slavery in New England. It was constructed by an African American man named Pompeii, who was enslaved by Thomas Brooks. The wall is one of two extant architectural elements to survive in Medford. The granite field stone wall was rebuilt by Mark Neves and his masons. It is a dry stacked wall. They have cleared brush behind the wall to allow for construction and they worked with the City to place openings in locations where planned crosswalks and curb cuts will be provided.