Site of Marinelli Park

Marinelli Park is located on Lincoln Avenue at the site of an abandoned parking lot acquired by the Borough as part of the Main Street Village development. The Main Street Village development is located on the site that was previously the O’Brien complex.

The O’Brien complex located along Green St. and Washington Ave. previously housed the Beloit Corporation’s "eastern" division and prior to that, was known as Downingtown Manufacturing Company. During the late 1950’s, employment at the then "Beloit Eastern plant" was such that a large parking lot was constructed along Lincoln Ave. Over time, the parking lot filled with silt from the constant flooding from the Little Parke Run tributary. Soon, both the parking lot and the industrial site were abandoned and terrible eyesores to the town.

Downingtown Main Street Association secured grants from the State to demolish and clean up this old industrial site. An agreement was reached between property owner Gary Silversmith, Downingtown Borough and the Main Street Village developer S & S Development Corporation that the former parking lot be turned over to the Borough for parkland. One block to the west of Marinelli Park, the Main Street Village homes can be seen.

Downingtown Borough secured a Growing Greener Grant from the state providing funds for storm water management, returning the stream bed to its original condition and educational purposes.

Why Marinelli Park?

In the spring of 2001, the Borough of Downingtown named a 4.2-acre parcel ofland on Lincoln Avenue, "Marinelli Park" to honor two brothers, Dominic and James Marinelli who died in World War II. The Marinelli family lived in the immediate neighborhood.

During World War II, everyone was involved in the war effort. Many served, and some gave all, but few experienced the loss sustained by the Marinelli family.

Mrs. Flavia Marinelli's brother, Tony Duca (US Army Air Corps), was killed in action on February 14, 1944.

On October 8, 1944, her elder son, James Marinelli (US Army) was killed in northern Italy.

By the spring of 1945, the war in Europe was nearing conclusion and the family pinned its hopes on the safe return of the younger son, Dominic (US Marine Corps), who was stationed in the Pacific. Sadly, Dominic Marinelli was killed on the island of Okinawa on April 14, 1945.

Lore has it, the family dogs howled on the evenings the brothers died. The Marinelli family never recovered from their loss.

Note: Biographies of the Marinelli Brothers (and others) are available at www.chesco.org/heroes  At the hero's site, click on WWII, and then look under U.S. Army for James Marinelli and U.S. Marines for Dominic Marinelli. The Chester County Hall of Hero's project is a work in progress. Area school districts, including Downingtown, have been invited to assist in this major research project. Due in part to their dwindling numbers, there is much interest in the WWII generation and its veterans. Did you know? In our small community, over one thousand young men and a few women were in the service during World War II. Eighteen (18) from Downingtown and another six (6) from the surrounding townships gave their lives during the war. The names of all these servicemen are listed on the Downingtown Area Veterans Memorial at Kerr Park. You may visit their site at www.dvmf.org Marinelli Park was formally dedicated on Saturday November 13, 2004.

Friends of Marinelli Park is a nonprofit (501C-3) volunteer organization working with the Borough of Downingtown to develop the park. 

Friends of Marinelli Park may be contacted as follows:

James Duca, Chair (610) 873-7353

Nick Castaldi, Vice Chair cindynick@earthlink.net

Dan Castaldi, Vice Chair

Please also visit us at:

http://dsf.chesco.org/heroes/marinelli_park/marinelli_park.htm

** Friends of Marinelli Park is a private non-profit 501C-3 organization. Tax deductible contributions may be mailed to 254 Chestnut Street, Downingtown, PA 19335.