THE LAND FOR THIS PARK WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY by Miss Eliza A. Haven through a bequest following her death in 1897. The last direct descendant of Dr. Samuel Haven, she provided in her will that the ancestral family mansion be "taken entirely apart, selling only the materials thereof." This reflected the desire of Samuel Haven, who stipulated in his will that the house be demolished after the death of his last surviving descendant and that his land be given to the city. The Haven family had long been prominent in Portsmouth and was known for its generous (and often anonymous) contributions to the city. Eliza continued that tradition, donating not only the family land for the creation of this public park, but also substantial funding for its maintenance and for the acquisition of additional land to expand it.