Built in 1996, West Deptford’s Field of Dreams has been home to many good memories, summer days, and splinters, but has now been scheduled to be demolished. The community-built playground has been adored by many, and some have found this news shocking. Others are wondering if they will get their donated fence posts back.
Back in June of 2023, the playground was temporarily shut down due to safety concerns. The town posted a notice saying no re-opening date was determined. A later safety audit determined the playground structures were past their usable life, and the park was subsequently shut down.
As the news of the closure spread through the local community, many began to reminisce about the old playground.
Hazel Foster, a 9th grade student at Gateway, said, “It was cool. I hung out with my sister there a lot.”
Back in 1996 when the park was built, people donated their money in return for their names to be engraved on the fence posts.
When people revisited the playground they noticed something, their fence posts had been removed, and they were furious.
To add to their furiosity, the town at this point had said nothing about tearing the posts down or how they would get them back to the donors.
In response to the situation, one commenter said, “I think the biggest concern people have is the secrecy of everything going on in West Deptford.”
Many other donors were frustrated not knowing what happened with their donated fence posts and began to vent their frustrations on the Facebook page, “West Deptford Town Talk.” In response to these concerns, the town announced they were organizing the donated items. Further information on its plans to give back the donated items is to come in early March.
The Field of Dreams was a beloved playground that gave many people a lot of good times and happy memories. It is sad to see such a cherished playground be shut down, but it’s probably good for the safety of children. Now, most likely with the donors to get their fence posts back, all we can do is wait to see what the town will do with the empty lot.
