HISTORY AND ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
A Gift to the Community
The historic mill village of Whitinsville and the Whitin Community Center exist today because of the success and generosity of generations of Whitin families. Beginning in the early 1800's, the Whitins built their fortune milling cotton and manufacturing textile machinery. The Whitinsville Cotton Mill and the Whitin Machine Works grew into industrial giants, and with their growth emerged an entire community. The company's workers were cared for in a paternalistic style that went far beyond the provisions of wages and housing. The Whitins built churches, fire stations, a reservoir for water and recreation, a hospital, Town Hall, and even a retirement home. For over 150 years, the family's commitment to strengthening the quality of life continued.
In 1922, four Whitin daughters: Elsa, Katharine, Lois, and Elizabeth, gave the funds to build a gym and pool for the enjoyment of local citizens in memory of their father, George Marston Whitin. This recreation center, known affectionately in earlier days as "The Gym," was one of the finest facilities in the state. Famous for its swim program, it sent swimmers to the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. Devastated by fire in 1959, the Gym was rebuilt with the support of trustees, business and civic leaders, and friends.
The decade of the 1990's was dedicated to expanding and modernizing the Whitin Community Center to prepare it for the 21st century. In 1993 new space was added to strengthen the Center's commitment to child care and adult health and fitness. A new lobby, elevator, racquetball courts completed this expansion phase, and most of the original 1922 building received a comprehensive face lift. In 1995, the Center's three outdoor tennis courts were completely refurbished. Ground was broken in September 1996 for a new state-of-the-art competition sized swimming pool. This new facility opened briefly as an outdoor pool (summer 1998) and then was enclosed for year round use, reopening in March 1999. A comprehensive project to restore the historic appearance of the Main Street facade was undertaken in 1998-99, funded by individuals, local companies, and the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Also in 1999, the Center's parking facilities were expanded to accommodate the increased business. An ambitious plan to restore and beautify historic Whitin Park (the 7.5 acres behind the Whitin Community Center) was unveiled in early 2000. The nearly 1 mile of stone perimeter walls were rebuilt, repointed and recapped. New walking trails were surfaced, and beautiful park lights and bollards have been installed. In the location of an original Whitin estate building - the rustic teahouse - the Gerry Gaudette pavilion has been built. This open air shelter is used by the Center's child care and summer camp program, along with use by the community at large.
On the drawing boards for the future includes expansion of the Center's health club and aerobics programs, renovation of the historic 1922 swimming pool, renovation of the center's locker rooms, and improvements to the main lobby area and entry way.
The Whitin Community Center today is a vibrant organization with 4,500 members. The Center also, through its mission, services at least as many non-members. It is a recognized 501 C (3) non-profit organization providing child care and family recreational services.
With over 200 families currently served, it is the largest Child Care Center in the Blackstone Valley with a pre-kindergarten school, full day care for pre-schoolers, and a large school age program which provides supervision before and after school, and all day long on school vacation periods. (The Center's school age program, one of the first in the state, was chosen as a model by the Commonwealth's Office For Child Care Services in writing its licensing regulations.)
Over 2,000 adults participate in the Center's health club program. Hundreds exercise regularly in aerobics, aqua aerobics, and lap swimming programs. Both adults and children play in organized basketballl, soccer, and volleyball leagues. American Red Cross swim lessons are taught to children starting as young as six months old. During weekday hours, the Center is hopping to the exercise routines of hundreds of senior citizens.
The Center launched a new Outreach program in 1995, funded entirely by donations, with the goal of bringing together all the children of the community, regardless of neighborhoods, economic status, or whether or not they were Center members. Organized Saturday afternoon activities, open swimming, day trips to museums and baseball games, youth theater, teen dances, and concerts are just some of the many activities. In January 2002 a new facility opened - the Rockdale Youth Center - providing free after school programs and supervision for youngsters ages 8-13. In the fall of 2005, the Center purchased the building housing the program (2219 Providence Road, Northbridge).
The Center exists in the community as a valuable resource. Many organizations use the Center as their regular meeting place: Cub Scouts, a men's bible study group, and the Valley Airs Drum & Bugle Corps, to name a few. The Center sponsors community road races, annual picnics, and hosts the highly acclaimed "Operation Graduation" -- the annual overnight graduation party for Northbridge High School seniors. It is one of the major sponsors of the Blackstone Valley's "Greenway Challenge," a team relay race from one end of the valley to the other with runners, cyclists, and paddlers.
The Center's 84 year history is full of examples of what an important resource it is to the Blackstone Valley community. As the next century begins, the Center is ready to continue this strong commitment to the people of our area.
SPLENDOR REVEALED
The John C. Whitin Estate
The property now occupied by the Whitin Community Center was once home to the industrial giant John Crane Whitin - founder of the Whitin Machine Works in 1847. The Whitin Machine Works grew to be one of the largest manufacturers of textile machinery in the world. The mill, located adjacent to Main Street, employed over 5,000 workers at one time.
Construction of the 11 acre estate began in 1872 as a gift to Whitin's second wife Sarah Elizabeth Pratt. (Whitin's first wife pre-deceased him.) The gothic victorian mansion, containing 29 rooms, sat prominently at the top of a hill. Surrounding the house were marble fountains, gardens thick with rose scent, and elements of natural beauty (designed by prominent Newport RI landscape architect William D. Stahl) which contrasted with the sights and sounds of Whitin's textile machinery shop below.
The historic layout of the property, as is still the case today, was comprised of a sloping lawn down to a semi-circular retaining wall. The carriage route to the mansion traversed the slope and meandered past a fine assortment of specimen trees, many of which still grace the property today.
In 1922, 3 1/2 acres were given by the family for the construction of the Whitin Community Center. In 1941 a determination was made that no family members were interested in occupying the mansion any longer. It was torn down and the 7 1/2 acres remaining of the estate were donated to the Center.
The property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is owned and maintained by the Whitin Community Center for public enjoyment.
Recently a collection of priceless photographs taken at the Whitin Estate primarily in the 1880's, 1920's, and in 1940 (before the demolition of the mansion) was donated to the Whitin Community Center by Mr. E. Kent Swift Jr.
We invite you to gaze back in time to
"SPLENDOR
REVEALED - THE JOHN C. WHITIN ESTATE"
