A Brief History of Elmwood Park

A Brief History of Elmwood Park. . , During the 1830s the area that is now Elmwood Park was part of a 200-acre estate built by Jonathan Tosh. In 1846, Col. William Madison Peyton bought the property and named it 'Elmwood.' Peyton planted a variety of trees and other flora including a Japanese magnolia, which was given to him in 1856 by Commodore Perry as a gift from his tenure as American Ambassador to Japan. This Japanese magnolia remains in the park to this day., Peyton Leftwich Terry purchased Elmwood in 1858. By the time Big Lick became Roanoke in 1882, Terry had expanded the Elmwood estate to 650 acres stretching from Mill Mountain, to the railroad. Terry sold the Elmwood estate, with the exception of 6.5 acres around the house, to the Roanoke Land and Improvement Company for $125,000 and became the wealthiest man in Roanoke. Elmwood was the center of social life during the 1880 - 1890s with numerous parties and even jousting tournaments hosted by the Terrys. After Terry's death in 1898 and the death of his wife, Mary Trout Terry, in 1910 the family sold the house and remaining land to the City for $150,000, The city considered using Elmwood for a new municipal building and jail but chose the Campbell Avenue location instead. The land became Elmwood Park and the Terry House, built in the 1830s and located on the top of the hill where boulders are now exposed, serving as the City's first public library from 1921 to 1952. During its early years, the park boasted tennis courts and a bandstand that brought in crowds for tournaments and concerts. In the 1920s and 1930s, the tennis courts were removed and numerous trees and shrubs were planted, including over 100 varieties of roses. By the 1950s, the park included a lake with a fountain and a fence around its perimeter (the gates of which are on display at the History Museum of Western Virginia)., The present International-style library was designed by the local firm of Frantz and Addkison and opened in 1952. The Terry House was demolished in 1964 and the lake was drained and replaced by an amphitheater in 1968., In the 1980s, after Design '79 emphasized the potential of the park as a cultural center, the first master plan for the park was developed as part of the centennial celebration of the City. Celebrated architect Charles Moore collaborated with landscape architect Lester Collins to groom the park into a series of outdoor places. Special elements include Memory Lane, where an allee of magnolias was planted, all donated by local families, and the exposed bedrock children's area, created with an air spade at the former site of the Terry House. The Mayor's Monument, originally erected in Woodland Park, was relocated to the SE corner of the park in 1982., Former City Mayor Noel Taylor proclaimed in 1985 that "Elmwood Park today is a tribute to the vision of the Roanokers who supported its purchase by the city in 1911.", The park remains remains a site for many of Roanoke's festivals and cultural events, hosting more than 50 celebrations annually for a diverse range of organizations., [Captions:] , (1928) View of Elmwood Park from Southwest corner of Jefferson Street and Elm Avenue. Showing the Terry House, which became Roanoke's first public library. Additional historic photos can be seen on the kiosks along the artwalk., (1969) View of the amphitheater and a student protest against the Vietnam War in Elmwood Park. Roanoke Public Libraries' Main Library visible in the background.