Dover’s Butterfield Gym to expand services in new location

The Butterfield gym, a longtime presence in the Dover community, has now firmly established new roots in the McConnell Center, the city’s community center and new home of the recreation department. For most regulars of the gym on Henry Law Avenue, vacating to make room for the incoming Children’s Museum, set to open in its new location in 2008, has been a daunting but welcome transition. “Butterfield has had a lot of history for a lot of people in the city,” said Gary Bannon, director of the Butterfield Gym and recreation manager for Dover. “Emotionally, for my staff and for the customers, it was pretty hard to move.” But for a facility that’s been around as long as Butterfield has, relocation was to be expected. 

The building that housed the Butterfield Gym for almost 50 years was originally built for an entirely different purpose. The facility was erected as an armory for the National Guard in 1929. The city took ownership of the building 32 years later and made it the site of a new recreation center. Over the years, Butterfield underwent frequent upgrades to meet the community’s rising recreational needs. It quickly became a popular place for locals to gather during their off-time. 

Having worked at Butterfield for 17 years, Bannon has seen just how much the gym means to many Dover residents. “I’ve really enjoyed Dover because it has a community feel to it,” Bannon said. “People get to know each other, and the places people get to do that are at places like the gym. I’ve heard a lot of stories from people, like, ‘I met my wife there,’ or, ‘I went there as a kid, and now I’m taking my kids there.’ For a lot of people, this move wasn’t just a question about recreation—it’s a quality of life issue.” 

Despite the nostalgia that relocating has produced for Bannon, he’s optimistic about the opportunities that the McConnell Center will provide. The gym opened at its new location on Dec. 26. “The basketball courts were fully renovated, and we’ve got a much-expanded fitness center in the new location. Everything here is pretty much brand new,” Bannon said. “There are a dozen other nonprofit organizations in the building, and we can work better together now that we’re all under one roof,” he added. “People realize what a one-stop-shopping situation it is for a variety of resources.” 

The recreation department is currently collaborating with senior and adult education programs also located in the McConnell center, providing facilities for activities like aerobics and yoga. The department is also using the extra space to add a senior program to its ever-growing list of activities.

Bannon says the atmosphere of the gym hasn’t changed much since he took over as director. Lately, however, he has noticed a change in overall community involvement. People are starting to voice their opinions on what they’d like to see happen with the recreation department. “A lot of times you only really hear from the people who have complaints, but I think people are becoming more understanding that they need to participate and they need to speak up to support what they’re happy about,” Bannon said.

The same is true of neighboring Portsmouth, according to Barry Foley, assistant director of the Connie Bean Center. “The gym opened in the ’40s, but for as (long) as I’ve been here I don’t think it’s changed at all,” Foley said. “What they come in to do now is the same as what they came in to do 20 years ago.” Foley says the gym is still as much of a community gathering place as it ever was, with adults mingling and kids hanging out and playing pool after class.
While ongoing development alters surrounding areas beyond recognition, gyms like the Connie Bean Center seem immune to change. And although the location of the Butterfield Gym has changed, it will likely remain a staple of the Dover community.

“Recreation is culture,” Bannon said.