Columbia in Maury County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Fairview Park
Columbia, Tennessee
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 19, 2020
1. Fairview Park Marker (Front)
In May 1938, the City of Columbia purchased 7.81 acres of land from Mrs. Ida L. Padgett in the amount of $585.75 for the first park dedicated to the African American community. Mr. Henry ‘Chick’ Shelton, a member of the City Park Commission, then requested the Columbia Board of Mayor and Alderman to construct a ball park for the community's Negro citizens. The park was built with a grandstand that could seat 800 people, dugouts, dressing rooms and a ticket office. The first event ever held at the park was a baseball game played on May 29, 1938.
In September 1940, the park was further expanded with the purchase of 2.03 acres from Mrs. Gertrude Snedegar in the amount of $300. This additional acreage led to the construction of a football field equipped for night games. the field was dedicated on October 21, 1940 when College Hill High School and Tullahoma High School played to a 0-0 tie in front of a packed crowd. It was at this time the park came to be known as Fairview Park. In November 1957, the city purchased an additional 27 acres from Mr. and Mrs. R.S. Snedegar in the amount of $10,500, completing the park as it is today.
Fairview
this page online
Erected 2020 by City of Columbia, Tennessee.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1938.
Location. 35° 36.878′ N, 87° 0.876′ W. Marker is in Columbia, Tennessee, in Maury County. Marker is on Iron Bridge Road, 0.4 miles east of Frierson Court, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 871 Iron Bridge Rd, Columbia TN 38401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Maury County Colored Hospital (approx. 0.7 miles away); Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Reverend Edmund Kelly (approx. 0.9 miles away); College Hill High School (approx. one mile away); 1946 Columbia Race Riot / A.J. Morton Funeral Home (approx. one mile away); Riverside Bridge (approx. 1.1 miles away); Capt. John Gordon (approx. 1.1 miles away); Nathan Vaught (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.
Additional keywords. Jim Crow South, segregation
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 19, 2020
2. Fairview Park Marker
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 19, 2020
3. Fairview Park Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 181 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 20, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
