Mill Park, Augusta

Though this park is on the small side, it offers some interesting amenities: you can stroll along paved paths and watch gulls fish in the river. You can play pétanque, run your pup in a small dog park, use the boat launch, learn about the 18th-century midwife Martha Ballard, or visit a weekly farmers market from May to October. I think even some ice skating happens there!

Along your walk, you might check out a plaque, affixed to a boulder, that memorializes — in both English and French — “the five generations who passed this place each day en route to their labors in the mills, factories and shops in early Augusta.” The park is named for the former Edwards Manufacturing Co., a massive brick complex that was destroyed by a fire in 1989. The factory began as a cotton mill in 1845 and became a major producer of clothing during World War II. Local newspapers say that at its peak, the mill employed 1,300 people; other sources put that number closer to 3,000. Needless to say, the mill was once a huge economic driver in the city. Kind of fittingly and sadly, as a reminder of how the loss of manufacturing has affected Maine, I saw several people living out of their cars.

There’s a staircase that runs down to the river bank. This lowland area needed a bit of a clean-up but the park itself is immaculate. I especially enjoyed the stone path that runs along the edge of the fencing on the river side.

Check out this informative and fun Facebook page for the park.

Directions: The address is 1 Northern Ave. The park is off Water Street, right where it meets Northern Avenue, and is accessible via Mill Park Road. There’s lots of parking.