The Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club has built a canoe storage/activities building named the Rotary Building at Gorham's new Shaw Park. The project involved the Rotary Club, Gorham's Recreation Department and Westbrook's Regional Vocational Center students. Shaw Park is located on the Presumpscot River and is the town's only public access to the River.

                                                          Background:

The land which is now Shaw Park was owned for years by the King family. It contained a gravel pit, a junk yard and beach on the river. Perhaps 35 years ago the family built a small cottage near the beach and enjoyed its use for many years. Shaw Brothers Construction, with a gravel pit located a short distance down river, wanted to enlarge its pit and purchased the King property a few years ago. During the planning of the pit expansion, Shaw Brothers donated what is now the Shaw Park area to Gorham. This donated land included the King cabin. The pit expansion included the development of the park, removing the junk yard and reclaiming the gravel pit. Shaw Brothers completed all of this work and Gorham recently accepted Shaw Park. Quoting Cindy Hazelton, Director of Gorham's Recreation Department, "Shaw Park is a truly wonderful gift."  It includes a park entrance road, parking area, multi-purpose ball field area, a ball diamond complete with brick dugouts and fencing, a snack shack and RV site for the Park Steward to reside in Spring to Fall. The former King family cabin, however, was badly deteriorated and needed to be demolished. The Rotary Building is located in approximatly the same location. 

The Park is stategically located near the Mountain Division Trail system and connects to other walking trails. One trail is a two-mile loop connecting with a foot bridge to Windham on Gambo Road, then north along an abandoned railroad right-of-way (recently purchased by the state for the Mountain Division Trail), then back across the Presumpscot River to Gorham and the Park. The Gorham Recreation Department uses the Rotary Building for storing canoes as well as being the gathering place for program registrations that taking place on the River or special events. Long-term plans for the Mountain Division Trail envision a 40-mile trail extending from Portland to Fryeburg. Since rail tracks have not been removed from the right-of-way, excursion trains may be a possibility.

Rotary members dismanteled the old cabin, salvaging a considerable amount of material for reuse, and delivered it to Westbrook's Regional Vocational Center. Students designed and built modules  which Rotary assembled.

On Tuesday, August 22, 2006, our meeting was a picnic at Shaw Park. On that occasion the building was officially presented to Gorham , represented by Cindy Hazelton, Recreation Director and David Cole, Town Manager.  For photos of the old cabin, construction of the Rotary Building and the picnic, please click on "Photo Album", then "Shaw Park".