Five Facts you may not know about Kennedy Park

Do you know these five Kennedy Park facts?

1. It was originally in Rhode Island and was named South Park

Today, the 57-acre historic park is in the southern part of Fall River but this area was, until 1862, part of Tiverton, Rhode Island. A large shift in town lines occurred that year which also combined the adjacent towns of Fall River, Massachusetts and Fall River, Rhode Island. The park retained its original name until 1963, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

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2. Before it was a park, it was the farm of a Tiverton man

John Durfee was a middle-aged Tiverton town councilman who also held the office of overseer of the poor. He lived on the family farm on the main road, half a mile from the Massachusetts border for many years but his life would be changed forever in 1832 when he stumbled upon something unusual, which brings us to our third fascinating fact..

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3. The grisly murder of a young woman was discovered there and a minister was accused of the crime

The location gained national attention in December 1832, when the pregnant lifeless body of Sarah M. Cornell was found hanging from a stackpole there. Her death was later deemed to be murder. Methodist minister Ephraim K. Avery was accused of the crime, but was acquitted after a sensational trial. The verdict outraged many local citizens.

Per author Rory Raven’s book on the subject, Wicked Conduct: The Minister, the Mill Girl and the Murder That Captivated Old Rhode Island, “Sarah’s body rested on John Durfee’s farm for years, until he moved it to an unmarked location; he had grown weary of the many, many visitors to the site, knocking on his door and asking questions. In 1909, Sarah was moved to Oak Grove Cemetery. Her stone is a simple white granite, much worn with the passage of time, the words still just discernable.”

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4. It was designed by the same architect who fashioned Central Park in New York

Built in 1868, the park was designed by famed 19th century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Olmsted is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture and was famous for co-designing many well-known urban parks with Vaux, including Central Park in New York City and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Olmsted also designed Fall River’s North and Ruggles Parks.

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5. Bill Clinton once gave a speech on the park grounds

On September 28, 1996, President Bill Clinton was on the campaign trail running for re-election and made a stop in Fall River. He spoke at Kennedy Park in front of a crowd of 25,000 people and his speech was well received. This appearance also produced the very first and likely last time a US President will ever utter the words, “Obrigado, Fall River.” Clinton went on to win re-election by a substantial margin.

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