Clarksburg City Park, also known as Norwood Park, is a municipal park in Nutter Fort, West Virginia. The property is owned by the City of Clarksburg Board of Park Commissioners and operated by City Parks of Clarksburg, although it is located outside the municipal limits of Clarksburg, West Virginia. The property was used as fairgrounds by the West Virginia Fair Association in the early 20th century and later operated as Norwood Park, an amusement park. The grounds have also hosted fairs, horse and automobile racing, professional baseball, and other recreational events.
Location and ownership Clarksburg City Park is located at 1 Clarksburg Park Way in Nutter Fort, south of Clarksburg. West Virginia property records list the property as owned by the City of Clarksburg Board of Park Commissioners and give its legal description as "Nutter Fort Park (Norwood Park)." The Town of Nutter Fort also refers to the property as Norwood Park, describing it as the City of Clarksburg park in Nutter Fort.
The administrative offices of City Parks of Clarksburg are also located at the park.
History
Fairgrounds and amusement park In December 1902, the West Virginia Fair Association announced at a meeting in Clarksburg that it had selected a site and planned to grade a racetrack and construct fences, stalls, and other improvements. By 1911, the grounds were identified as the West Virginia Fair Association Grounds in a Clarksburg publication.
The fairgrounds included a racetrack used for horse racing. In 1910, the West Virginia Fair Association scheduled an annual fair and race meeting that included harness and running races.
By the 1910s, the grounds were also known as Norwood Park and had developed into an amusement park. A roller coaster was constructed in 1916. It had more than of track, a drop, and two trains with a combined capacity of 36 passengers. Other attractions included a merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, shooting gallery, pool room, box ball alley, and bowling alley. A grandstand with seating for about 1,000 spectators overlooked horse and motorcycle racing at the park. The Billboard also listed a roller-skating rink at Norwood Park in 1918.
In 1919, Clarksburg businessman Ed Denham purchased the Norwood Amusement Company, the owner of Norwood Park. The Billboard reported that Denham planned improvements including a new entrance, fun house, concessions, and other attractions.
When residents of the surrounding area sought to incorporate Nutter Fort in 1923, the proposed municipal boundaries included the West Virginia Fair Association's property. The association sought unsuccessfully to have its property excluded. In 1924, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia upheld the incorporation. The court described the property as fairgrounds that had been used for many years and noted that during most of the year it was used as a park for dance halls, carnival shows, baseball, football, and other amusements.West v. West Virginia Fair Association, 97 W. Va. 10, 125 S.E. 353 (1924).
Baseball Baseball was played at Norwood Park during the 1920s. A baseball field was constructed inside the existing horse-racing track at the fairgrounds.
The Clarksburg Generals of the Class C Middle Atlantic League played their home games at Norwood Park. The Generals competed in the league from 1926 through 1932. Norwood Park is identified as the team's home ballpark in contemporary-season records.
The park also hosted baseball during other public events. A 1927 reunion of the 80th Division included a picnic, a baseball game between Clarksburg and Cumberland, and a fireworks display at Norwood Park.
Auto racing The fairgrounds racetrack was also used for automobile racing. Racing records identify the half-mile dirt oval under several names, including Clarksburg Fairgrounds, Central West Virginia Fairgrounds, Norwood Park, and Clarksburg Speedway. Recorded automobile races at the track date to 1921, with events continuing intermittently into the early 1950s.
During the 1930s, the track hosted American Automobile Association-sanctioned sprint-car racing. In 1936, The Billboard listed Clarksburg among the West Virginia fairgrounds hosting AAA-sanctioned automobile races. Racing records list AAA events at the Clarksburg Fairgrounds on July 5 and August 23, 1936.
The grounds continued to be used for fairs after the amusement-park era. The West Virginia State Archives holds a program for the Harrison County Fair held at Norwood Park from July 30 through August 4, 1951.
Clarksburg City Park Frank Loria Memorial Field opened at Clarksburg City Park during the 1970s. The field is named for Frank Loria, a Clarksburg native who became Virginia Tech's first consensus All-American in football and later joined the coaching staff at Marshall University. Loria was killed in the 1970 plane crash that killed most of the Marshall football team and staff.
In 2018, Frank Loria Memorial Field received a new artificial-turf playing surface. Flooding shortly after its installation seriously damaged the field and forced its temporary closure.
A indoor recreation building was constructed on the park property in 2020. The building contains a multipurpose turf field and batting cages.
West Virginia Blackberry Festival
The park hosted the annual West Virginia Blackberry Festival through 2019. The festival included food vendors, live entertainment, a 5K race, games, and fireworks.
Facilities and current use Current facilities include Frank Loria Memorial Baseball Field, four Pony League baseball fields, soccer fields, a lighted multipurpose field, a playground, two picnic shelters, two tennis courts, a lighted basketball court, and a walking trail. The indoor recreation facility provides a multipurpose turf field and batting cages.
The park also contains the John R. Romano Youth Training Facility, an indoor sports complex that opened in January 2020. The facility includes an indoor turf field and batting cages. Fundraising for the project began with the Harrison County PONY League and later expanded into a community effort that raised more than $800,000. The facility was named for longtime PONY League president John R. Romano in 2023.
The park also hosts community events. The annual Family Fun Extravaganza is a multi-day festival featuring carnival rides, live entertainment, vendors, and a parade.
References
External links Clarksburg City Park at City Parks of Clarksburg