ROYALSTON – Over the weekend, volunteers began work on the new park that replaced the site of the former Pete & Henry’s restaurant.

The restaurant, located in the town’s South Village, was destroyed in a fire in 2018. Owners John and Tammy Cloutier sold the property to the town for $5,000 three years later.

In March of last year, the Selectboard agreed to place the land under a conservation restriction overseen by Mt. Grace Land Conservation Trust.

With the permission of Mt. Grace, the ad hoc Royalston Park Committee has been laying the groundwork to transform the property into a new community park. Earlier this year the committee landed a $20,000 grant from the Elden E. Bjurling Charitable Foundation of Leominster to help pay for some of the park’s amenities.

We’re doing quite well

Lynne Kellner, on work done at the park

Among the first items to be installed over the weekend was a new fence, which will surround most of the parcel. Another addition is an area containing two new picnic tables, secured to a cement pad once topped by the bar that eventually expanded into Pete & Henry’s restaurant.

One of the volunteers on hand Friday was Roy Smith. Smith worked in construction 50 years ago and supervised the laying of the cement pad.

“I was 29 years old back then,” said Smith, “and I’m 79 now. I was working for Pete and Henry Dufault, the original guys. Originally, it was just a barroom and then they built onto it, and on weekends a band would come and party. Then they added a kitchen and business was so good that they added on more to the kitchen.”

The original building occupying the site was a shed owned by Royalston Cotton & Wool Manufacturing Company, which operated from 1812 to the mid-1930s.

  • A community park is being built on the site of the former Pete & Henry’s, which was destroyed in a fire in 2018. PHOTO BY GREG VINE Credit: PHOTO BY GREG VINE
  • Picnic tables with a fenced-in area are part of a new community park built on the site of the former Pete & Henry’s restaurant. PHOTO BY GREG VINE Credit: PHOTO BY GREG VINE
  • A retaining wall will display a mural. PHOTO BY GREG VINE Credit: PHOTO BY GREG VINE
  • Volunteers install a new fence around the community park built built on the site of the former Pete & Henry’s restaurant. PHOTO BY GREG VINE Credit: PHOTO BY GREG VINE

Lynne Kellner, chair of the committee, said gates will be installed in the fence to allow access. In addition, a play area for children will be installed. Eight granite steps will be cut in between the lower and upper portions of the park and a handicap-accessible ramp allowing access from Blossom Street will also be installed.

“We need to do some grant writing and fundraising to get a little more money for that,” said Kellner of the children’s space. “That’s kind of an issue right now. We did get $20,000 from the Bjurling Foundation, and we also got $2,100 from the Mass Cultural Council for the mural.”

The mural will be installed on the cement retaining wall on the property. Kellner said Lyman Signs of Phillipston will print the artwork onto 4-foot by 8-foot aluminum panels which will then be attached to the wall.

“We’re doing quite well,” Kellner said.