Re: Paths in Poplar Lawn Park

"Just out of curiosity why is there a need for a path between that particular circle and the cement path?"

It's time to preserve our park's history. We should no longer settle for what we are given after 25 years of neglect by the city. It was poor planning that allowed the President's House at Richard Bland College to gain an artful 19th century fountain while we are forced to accept a mid-20th century one in a different place.

1903 picture (looking southeast toward Fillmore & South Adams)

Current Fountain (original fountain location in background)

However, back to the question. In the short term, this path is the last of the sections of original paths between Sycamore Street and the 1967 concrete addition that is without gravel.

In the long term it is part of the interlocking path systems that must be fully restored with gravel. Furthermore, in the 1980 amended nomination for the National Historic District, it specifically list the paths of the park as a contributing feature. Quoted text follows:

"The last and most significant improvements of Poplar Lawn occurred in 1875. At this time funds were appropriated for the planting of five hundred trees on Poplar Lawn at the cost of one hundred dollars. It was probably during this year also that irregular paths were laid out in rough concentric and radiating patterns. The plan of the park reflects the popularity of landscape theories practiced by Frederick Law Olmsted during the second half of the 19th century."

True Poplar Lawn is not an Olmsted, but this revolutionary planning is important in recognizing the history of how Petersburg saw itself.

Olmsted planned improvements in many major US cities. To name a few: Boston, The Capitol in Washington, D.C., the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, and most importantly New York's "Central Park". Poplar Lawn Park shows how at the end of the 19th Century, Petersburg consider itself on the cutting edge in urban planning with major cities at the time.

The largest city in the US in 1870 was New York City. Petersburg is listed as the 77th largest city in the US, but having a park referred to as "Central Park" and laid out in an Olmsted-inspired pattern probably made Petersburg feel they were number 1.

There is no reason Petersburg should not be able to recapture that spirit to feel number 1 again.

"The city's plan is to beautify not renovate the park."

"This was about the same time Kathy's office received a call that the plants were blocking a pathway. I met with Kathy in the park and agreed that there is no path in the location identified and that plantings should continue following the city plans."

Below is historical evidence that those paths have and still do exist.

1877 Map (Fillmore at Bottom)

1967 Map (Fillmore at Right- Keeper's Cottage at Top)

1982 Map (Fillmore at Bottom- Keeper's Cottage at Right)
Just illustrates how the park has deteriorated in the last 25 years.

The paths are still there. If you dig down about 6 inches, you will find the level of old gravel. On a related note, there are concrete sidewalks at the backside of the park that are completely grown over: they still exist if someone would take the time to "restore" them by digging them out.

The question of restoration over beautification is not a black and white subject. It is not a question of one or the other. They go hand in hand. For example- one could restore the paths by putting new gravel over the places that have been neglected in the last 25 years. Having uniform walking paths throughout the park would serve in beautifying it by making it visually stimulating to the visitor. Doing this would also seek to cut down on areas that will need to be mowed as well as keeping vehicle traffic away from the areas where plantings are done. Without clear pathways, vehicles have a tendency to go around the park as they see fit.

Our P.L.A.C.E in Petersburg

Welcome to P.L.A.C.E (Poplar Lawn Alliance for Conservation and Education) in the upcoming years we hope to advocate the complete adaptive restoration of the 11 acre Poplar Lawn Park to it's turn of the 20th century heyday.

Poplar Lawn Park (Central Park) has been the recreational center of the City of Petersburg for many years dating back to the later 1700s before its incorporation in the City in 1844. The Park was also the center of many monumental events in the City's History, from its place in the City's War of 1812 history, General Lafayette's return to the City after he sought to defend the City from the British 43 years earlier, and its use during the Siege of Petersburg during the Civil War.

Like many mid-sized aging cites, Petersburg had also suffered decline beginning in the 1960s. As money became tight, the grand Poplar Lawn Park also suffered from dwindling budgets and other social factors. The park was left to deteriorate, but thankfully the 100 year old plans to continue South Adams Street through the middle were never acted on when they resurfaced.

The last major improvements to the park took place sometime in 1982. Of those improvements many today would not be consider acceptable to historic fabric of the park. Since 1982, many dedicated residents have sought improvements and to stop further deterioration in Poplar Lawn Park with much of the work being done by themselves.

Today Petersburg is in the middle of a Renaissance. The Poplar Lawn National Historic District established in 1979 has been encouraging positive changes as older homes are being restore. Historic Poplar Lawn Association (HPLA) has been a great force in helping to advocate on issues involving the homeowners of the area. HPLA, however, has been unable to focus resources on monumental changes that are needed in Poplar Lawn Park. It is for this reason that P.L.A.C.E was formed. In the Spring of 2008, the concept of P.L.A.C.E was established to act as a vehicle to encourage work to be done in Poplar Lawn Park by the City of Petersburg, as well as addressing health and safety issues. Another goal of P.L.A.C.E is to be a non-government organization to seek out grants in order to pay for improvements and restoration of Poplar Lawn Park that may not be available to local governments.

In the next 10 years, there are mile stones in which P.L.A.C.E hopes to have some phases of restoration accomplished by.

2012- 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812
2014- 170th Anniversary of the purchase of the Poplar Lawn,
- 150th Anniversary of the start of Civil War attacks on Petersburg
2019- 175th Anniversary of Poplar Lawn Park