Ribbon cutting held at Martha's Park

You won’t find any peace and quiet in Martha’s Park these days — not that you’d want to, given that there’s so much to enjoy. Instead, you’ll find plenty of children laughing, playing, shouting and running around as they enjoy the park’s brand new amenities.

The City of Morganton and Morganton Service League held a ribbon cutting Thursday, June 17, to mark the completion of renovations and installation of new equipment at Martha’s Park. Park renovations began near the end of 2020, and were completed in late spring of this year.

“Martha’s Park is one of our most well-loved and popular local parks, and we are so proud to have completed these renovations so that children in this region can continue to enjoy it,” said Parks and Recreation Director Rob Winkler.

New features at the 1.4 acre park include a new main playground structure, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant playground equipment, new rubber mulch and pour-and-play surfacing, and a greater variety of playground equipment for all ages.

The park renovations were made possible by funding from the City of Morganton and the Morganton Service League. Martha’s Park originally opened in 1972 as The Children’s Park, and was funded by the City of Morganton. The park was renovated in the early 2000s with funds raised by the Morganton Service League, and was then renamed in honor and memory of Martha Phifer.

A new feature of the park pays homage to one of the more unique features of the original park. Martha Phifer enjoyed playing in a small house that sat on the old park’s property. While that house is now gone, a smaller modern playhouse sits in the park as part of the new renovations.

Most of the new equipment is geared toward smaller children, Winkler said, as a way to give younger children in Morganton something to enjoy. In addition to the playhouse and new main playground structure, there is a smaller climbing structure, a xylophone, a see-saw, and more.

Rhonda Ensley, Morganton Service League board member and Chair of the Morganton Service League’s Martha’s Park Committee, said it was a blessing to see how the park has evolved over the years into what it is now.

“It is such an honor for the Morganton Service League to be part of creating such an asset to our downtown,” Ensley said. “This park is so well-loved by our community, and I am so glad we are able to honor this park’s legacy and Martha Phifer’s name.”