This little cutie is in our neighborhood, and it’s the only piece left standing of Lexington Park, a 48-acre amusement park that operated from 1904 until around 1919.

It is believed the house originally operated as a casino, which stocked ice cream popcorn and “the very best confectionary, temperance drinks, foreign and domestic cigars and tobacco,” according to a write up by the Bedford Historical Society, from which we got the majority of information on this post.

Located on the Lexington-Bedford town line in Massachusetts the park was originally located on a main electric streetcar line running from Charlestown to Lowell. It became a recreational destination, featuring natural and man-made attractions such as a forest of “mammoth pines,” winding paths and “velvety, well-kept lawns.”

Promo materials described the open-air theater as offering “high-class vaudeville,” opera and musical comedy; a zoological garden with “the grandest collection of herbivorous animals in New England,” a monkey house, aviary and bear pit. Children enjoyed pony or donkey rides, and you could also feed camels.

In addition to a carousel, playground, swings and athletic fields, there was also a Women’s Building which was a supervised by a full-time matron. It offered cots for children to take their afternoon naps, and a veranda with rocking chairs and tables where women could meet and hang out.

A restaurant, and of course, the casino, rounded out the place.

To be honest, now all we can wonder is… which part of this park does our own house now sit upon?