Montgomery Hall Park Today

Montgomery Hall Park Today. Integration, Abandonment, Revival. , "It took many appearances at city council meetings before we convinced them to investigate the possibility of renovating and reopening Montgomery Hall Park." Patsye B. Robinson, Booker T. Washington Alumni Committee, Integration, then Decline, Integration and absorption into Staunton's park system came to Montgomery Hall Park in 1966, the result of local community pressure and national Civil Rights legislation. The African American Montgomery Hall Park Committee stopped meeting in 1969., The years immediately after integration were hard on the park. Without the need to provide a legally separate space for the African American community, the city directed funds elsewhere. The park fell into disrepair and eventually closed., Montgomery Hall Park Reopens, Many in the community, but particularly the Booker T. Washington Alumni Committee, were saddened by the closure and petitioned city council with little success to restore and upgrade the park for the entire community., Finally, in 1975, the park reopened after a $400,000 grant provided a comprehensive upgrade to ballfields, nature trails, tennis courts, bike trails, and picnic areas designed to accommodate as many as 5,000 visitors., The Mansion House Dilemma, The reopening did not solve the problem of the aging mansion house. Some wanted to raze the building; others argued for its historical significance. In 1977, a special committee seeking solutions was able to leverage a $250,000 grant to restore and reopen the building as the city's parks and recreation headquarters., In 2002, the renovated building became the Irene Givens Administration Building named (posthumously) after "Mom" Givens who led park programs during segregation. A city proclamation remembered Givens as "a beloved community member who dutifully and carefully guided, directed, and mentored the youth of the area.", Still a Special Park, Today Montgomery Hall Park, known for its historical significance and recreational facilities, is among the crown jewels of Staunton's park system. In 2015, a history marker was erected at the park entrance and in 2018 the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The upgraded 148-acre park includes walking trails, a disc golf course, picnic shelters, soccer fields, and mountain bike trails. Many amenities developed by the original MHP committee continue including barbeque areas, softball fields, basketball courts, horseshoes, playgrounds, tennis courts and, of course, the pool, which has been restored and reopened., (Captions):, Map from the 1970s of the proposed redevelopment of Montgomery Hall Park., Community member Patsye Robinson was instrumental in saving and revitalizing Montgomery Hall Park., This map shows the many amenities offered at Montgomery Hall Park today., Today the park shines as a beacon of beauty and recreation for all citizens., Local leaders as well as representatives of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources unveil the history marker at the park entrance that was dedicated in 2015.