Finally Gets Tennis Courts!

Only took over 35 years!

Bye Bye Trees! Hello Tennis!

Hey Alumni! As part of the last stages in all the 2006-2008 construction, Mendham High finally gets some tennis courts - three of them, to be exact! Guess where they put them? Personally I was quite stunned they picked this location - right below the old 80's Grove! For a more broad description, the courts are being built in the hill behind the school, smack between the Field House and the backyards of houses on Franklin Road. I couldn't believe such a location worked, as the hill is quite steep, as we all know from walking down to the football field for so many years during gym class! I also thought the location would be too narrow, but alas, looks like they just fit!

So below are some photos showing the construction of these new courts. To build these new tennis courts, most of the land was extensively graded, and also all the trees were removed. So now the term "The Grove" has become completely obsolete and slips further into total oblivion, as there are no groves of trees anywhere out there now!

Photos From Before The Tennis Court Construction Started


July 2005: This photo shows the area where the courts will be, which is to the right of that Field House. This photo was taken before all the construction, which is why everything looks so good!		January 2008: Here is a side view of the area. I think I was standing in some pricker bushes when I took this photo. The New Wing is not done yet here.


May 2008: Here is the area, starting to be prepped for destruction, I mean construction. My favorite old tree is there, but that big orange "X" reveals it's pending doom ahead!		May 2008: I am standing right below the 80's Grove, looking down the hill. This lush, green area will be disappearing shortly!

June/July 2008 - Construction Starts


Here in this photo, I am in the 80's Grove here, looking down (just looks too clean for the Grove, doesn't it!). That blacktop there is the basketball court. The construction has clearly started on the new tennis courts!		All the trees are removed. Bye-bye my favorite old tree :( . The land is excavated and graded. It appears that the land is now even with the roof of the Field House. Yes, some serious work done there! There are going to be some HUGE retaining walls.


I am coming around the side here, just about in the backyards of houses on Franklin Road. Still can't believe all the trees are gone, and everything is so open and bare.		I'm at the bottom of the hill, looking up. Didn't think they could make tennis courts in the side of a hill, but there they are.


This shot is taken from the bottom of the hill near the Field House, above the Football Field. Nothing like it used to be!		I climbed to the top of the football field bleachers to take this photo. In the background is the new tennis court construction; in the foreground is the new artificial turf being placed on the football field.

Early August 2008 - Continuing Construction


Went over to the school to check the construction, and wow! The grading is done, and the courts are now paved. They are working fast on this one!		A closer look at the courts, taken from the 80's Grove area. Ain't much left of the Grove anymore! The VERY tall retaining walls are done.


This photo shows how high one of the retaining walls around the new courts are! My goodness! The courts truly are level with the Field House roof.		Another view, taken from down the hill, showing the walls around the new tennis courts rising in the background.

Late August 2008 - Getting Done!


More progress! Now the courts have fence poles in; and also there is a path now surrounding the courts on the Franklin Road side. Wow!		Since no one is looking (and I didn't see any signs posted and no one reads captions carefully, right?), I wander out to the courts. The walls are quite impressive! Still seems like such a bizarre location for the courts to me!


The courts will be divided into 3. Fences and nets still to come. Looks like it will be fun to play here! I can already imagine errant balls hitting the Field House roof.		Another view from the lower corner of the courts. Fortunately there is a path going up the side, as I believe the gates entering the courts will be located there. The other sides of the courts are WAY too high to enter from the ground.

October 2008 - The Finished Product!

Here in October 2008, the courts are completely done! Nets are up, courts are painted, and I saw kids playing matches on them. I think these courts are the last phase of all the construction that's been going on since 2006. Not much open land anywhere behind the school anymore, though there are still many open fields farther back behind the football field, and in the areas closer to Hilltop Church. So isn't it nice to know all the future generations of Mendham High tennis teams will have some awesome courts to play on.

Well, thanks for stopping by! If you ever played on Mendham high tennis teams in the past, wouldn't it have been great to have courts right there at the school. Of course, back in the olden days, you would have been batting balls around with some grovers literally feet away causing trouble, but I digress. So much for the remaining land of the old student Grove - can't stop progress!

Click here to return to the Oldmendhamhigh Main Page

Site Last Updated: March 2009

This page is part of oldmendhamhigh.com and oldmendhamhigh.org - somehow we got both domain names

This is a Mendham High Alumni & History site (well, that's what we aim for at least)
The absolute address of this page is http://home.att.net/~suelighthouse/tenniscourts.html

This is a little lighthouse. I LOVE visiting lighthouses, which is what my email address is based on. You really wanted to know that, right?

Email at: suelighthouse@att.net - Sue Willis (class of '88), lifelong Mendhamite & writing this site with the help of many friends and fellow alumni