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After gravel was extracted from
a hillside to build Memorial Drive, what was left resembled an
amphitheater. Plimpton Graul, returning from Washington, DC where he
saw a performance at an outside amphitheater, sold the idea to Frank
Conner of GERA who received funding from the WPA to construct an
amphitheater. Mr. Graul did not oversee the project due to his
involvement in other RP projects, but kept watch on it because of
his interest in it.
The stone for the amphitheater was taken from a quarry on
Orangeville Hill. George Meeker bought dump truck through a finance
company and leased the service of it to the state. Every morning
Meeker carried workers to the quarry to load stone for the
amphitheater. When it was finished the state paid for landscaping
around it. All projects done in the park used tools supplied by the
men who worked there.
The amphitheater can be rented for $55/day. All amphitheater
rentals are scheduled through the offices of the Rec Center.
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The Sea Base was constructed in
conjunction with the amphitheater. At a cost of $10,000, it was the
first of its kind in America. The ’ship’ was located at the upper
part of RP and was surrounded by a rip rapped moat. Furnishings for
the ship were supplied by the federal govt. from the Philadelphia
naval yard. Known at the time as the ‘Sea Scouter’, it was formally
dedicated to the Mercer County Boy Scouts. In 1962 it was torn down
due to lack of maintenance and fire. It was decided by the Borough
Council that it would cost more to repair than it was actually
worth, so it was torn down. |
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