West Deptford's Field of Dreams to be dismantled, donors want their signs back

A beloved wooden playground is being nixed, and now donors want their signs back.

West Deptford Town Talk, a private Facebook group with over 13,000 members discussing happenings in the small, South Jersey town, has been barraged with comments and opinions on the impending demolition of the Field of Dreams.

The wooden playground, synonymous with summer days, birthday parties and splinters, is set to be dismantled.

News of the planned razing stirred conversations about the iconic structure throughout the township.

Now, residents are mourning the castle-like play area that entertained generations, and some have expressed disappointment in what they described as a lack of information from the township regarding the park's fate.

"I think the biggest concern people have is the secrecy of everything going on in West Deptford," one commentor wrote in response to a question regarding the park by a Courier-Post reporter.

The Field of Dreams was built by volunteer West Deptford community members in 1996. Since then, numerous children have toddled around the play equipment, many growing up and bringing their own kids there to make new memories.

The grounds got a makeover in 2012, when a series of weekend closures allowed time for a restoration project made possible by donated funds and employees.

In June of 2023 the park was closed again, then temporarily, at the recommendation of the township's municipal engineer. This action came as a result of concerns of unsafe play caused by things like non-compliant structures, failing support pillars, protruding screws and nails as well as "entrapment hazards," according to an email to the Courier-Post from West Deptford Township Administrator Tyler Rost.

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A notice posted on the township's website at the time explained that no opening date could be determined, but that more information would follow when those determinations were made.

Eight months later, news of the demolition quickly spread through town when residents noticed the removal of donated fence posts.

Rost said that the move to close the park was confirmed by the town's risk management providers, and it was determined that the park be shut down and dismantled. This decision also came in part due to changes in the state's playground safety handbook.

West Deptford Township posted a public notice to Facebook on Feb. 21, addressing the ongoing conversations about the playground.

This was the first posted update on the park, and announcement of its dismantling, since the summertime notice of its closure.

"This playground stood as a symbol of unity in our municipality, serving multiple generations of our residents," the statement read, before going on to explain the necessary dismantling of the park following safety inspection recommendations that ruled the park no longer viable and unable to be repaired.

"Acknowledging the historical significance and community affection for the park, the West Deptford Parks and Recreation staff removed the fence pickets and bricks from the site earlier this month," the notice continued.

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Many residents have expressed their desire to keep their sponsorship items, like the engraved fence pickets that adorned the park for years.

The municipality is organizing donor items and will be releasing further information to residents on how they plan to distribute sponsorship items in early March.

"We appreciate your patience and understanding as we coordinate the best way to legally distribute these materials to our dedicated residents, without whom the project would not have been possible," the notice concluded.

Now, Rost says the township is focused on bringing the park into compliance with its insurance provider's requirements and returning sponsorship items to donors.

It is unclear at this time what the long-term goal for the property is.

Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Field of Dreams to be dismantled in West Deptford