West End in Providence in Providence County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)

Dexter Training Ground Bocce Courts

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 5, 2023

1. Dexter Training Ground Bocce Courts Marker

Inscription. These bocce courts and chess tables have been made possible by a generous gift from the Jeffrey Family in honor of
Bob and Gilda Jeffrey
A true neighborhood force, Gilda did much to help others and improve the neighborhood for all of us - from taking on irresponsible absentee landlords, to planting trees, to advocating for the preservation of historic Providence Armory, to bringing people into the Jeffrey home for meals. Gilda also ran a program called the West Broadway Incentive Program that gave small grants to neighbors for necessary interior repairs.

Mayor Opens 4 Boccia Courts at Dexter Training Grounds
Dinner Held After Brief Ceremony; Reynolds Calls On Club to Prevent Abuse of Newly-Developed Area.
Providence Journal July 9, 1953 Mayor Walter H. Reynolds of Providence last night led a pick-up team to a smashing 15-to-3 defeat at informal ceremonies marking the opening of four new boccia courts at Dexter Training Grounds.

Just back from a six-week trip to Europe, the mayor explained he was out of practice and will return at a later date with a councilmanic team to defeat the best team at the grounds.

The

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

ceremonies were sponsored by the Dexter Open Air Boccia Club, an organization of more than 150 Federal Hill residents. The courts were built by the city as part of a program to spruce up the training grounds.

After the brief ceremonies, the mayor, several city officials, and members of the club adjourned to the Dexter Palm Gardens for dinner and a short program of speeches. Lorenzo Pagella was toastmaster.

A Short History of Bocce According to the United States Bocce Federation (www.usbf.us), variations on today's game of bocce date back seven thousand years. Forms of bocce were played in ancient Egypt and from there were passed to the Greeks around 800 B.C. The Romans learned the game from Greeks to spread it throughout the Mediterranean basin. Emperor Augustus was reputed to have been an avid player. At that time, coconuts were imported from Africa for balls. Olive wood was carved into the pallino. In Renaissance Europe, the passion for bocce caused the Republic of Venice to ban the game in 1576. In England, Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake were fans of the sport. Drake reputedly insisted, "First we finish the game, then we'll

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 5, 2023

2. Dexter Training Ground Bocce Courts Marker

deal with the Armada!" Today's sport descends from the form popularized by patriot unifier of Italy Giuseppe Garibaldi. The first Italian league was formed in 1947 in the northern Italian town of Rivoli, the same year Bocce World Championships began. The Championship draws participants from over thirty countries annually. The USBF reports there are more than 25 million bocce enthusiasts in the United States today.

Trees Sprout on Dexter Training Ground
Providence Journal April 19, 1982 Providence-The Dexter Training Ground is taking on a green look these days as the result of a join project by the Mayor's Office of Community Development (MOCD) and the city Parks Department.

John T. Campanini, Jr., city forester, said he and Joel Boodon, director of parks and open spaces for the MOCD, put together a financial package under which 295 London plane trees will be put around the training ground's border. Some already are in place.

Campanini said trees also will be planted along surrounding streets-Parade, Hollywood, Dexter and Bridgham.

The work is done under an MOCD grant of $83,000.

The forester said further work will be

Paid Advertisement

done in the next fiscal year when additional money becomes available. In the later phase, workers will install sidewalks, benches and an underground piping system for watering the trees.

Under the terms of the deed in which the Dexter Training Ground was given to the city, the land must remain "a passive, open field for military exercises," he said, "so we are limited as to what we can do on the interior."

Erected 2017.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Charity & Public Work • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is April 19, 1982.

Location. 41° 48.921′ N, 71° 25.953′ W. Marker is in Providence, Rhode Island, in Providence County. It is in West End. It is on Parade Street just south of Oak Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 41 Parade St, Providence RI 02909, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in New England,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Dexter Training Grounds (here, next to this marker); Ebenezer Knight Dexter (within shouting distance of this marker); Church of God and Saints of Christ (approx. 0.4 miles away); United States Marine Corps (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Mattera Legacy (approx. 0.6 miles away); Giovanni Da Verrazzano (approx. 0.6 miles away); P.F.C. Louis Tocci Memorial Square (approx. 0.6 miles away); Raymond Dettore, Jr. (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Providence.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 10, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 305 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 10, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.