This is a NEW PARK - the WATER AND SEWER system has not been run. Chem Toilets are available, YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN WATER.(This message will be removed when amenities are available)
Dedicated on October 4, 2014, and officially opened on October 10th, the Grace Street Dog Park is part of a 54-acre improvement project of property located between the 72 Bypass on the north, West Laurel Street on the south, Grace Street on the east, and Merrywood Street on the west.
The park is managed by the Greater Greenwood Parks and Trail Foundation.
For over 15 years, the Parks Foundation and the Greenwood Parks Commission have worked to create a large county park at the corner of Grace Street and the 72 By-Pass. The 54-acre tract of land was previously the water source and water purification plant for the City of Greenwood (later the Commission of Public Works). CPW discontinued use of the facility in the 1980s. Included within the site are the original artesian well, two man-made ponds, natural wooded areas, meadows, and the brick water plant building. CPW and the City of Greenwood graciously offered the property to the Parks Foundation for the development of a park and executed a lease to the Foundation in September of 2011.
The Grace Street property has a long history as public green space for the residents of Greenwood. Because of the artesian well on the property and the need to expand water services for the citizens of Greenwood, the City of Greenwood acquired the property by condemnation in the early 1900s. Shortly thereafter, the area around the water facility began to be used as a park with water features, gardens, meadow and public gathering spaces. A stone sign was constructed at one of the entrances with the name “Oak Hill Park.” Around 1930, a nine-hole municipal golf course was built on the property, which remained in use until the 1950s. Although the property has not been open for public use for many decades, it remains a public treasure for the residents of Greenwood.
The long-term lease agreement between the City of Greenwood and the Parks Foundation envisions a public park or green space for “urban outdoor enjoyment of the public at large.” The Parks Foundation has 24 months to develop a master plan and a 10-year time frame to complete the park. Funding for the park is to come from public grants, private grants and donations. It is anticipated by the Foundation that much of the park development can be done with volunteer labor. Already lawyers, architects, engineers, landscapers and private citizens have donated their time and expertise in crafting a proposal that has taken into account input from the general population. The plan has been presented to the Greenwood City Council and has been accepted.
For Greenwood, South Carolina, saving 54 acres of pristine green space adjacent to the heart of the city is like John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt working to protect the Redwoods, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. This is an opportunity for parents, grandparents, college students, teenagers, schoolchildren and ordinary citizens to join together in creating a park.
As envisioned by the Foundation, the park would feature an open meadow, a natural amphitheater and walking trails. There would be shaded pavilions for family picnics, small playgrounds for parents to enjoy an outing with their children, and a pond for outdoor lovers and for nature study by scout troops and school groups. A water feature would offer an opportunity for strollers to relax or perhaps sit down for a leisurely read. A dog park would give animal lovers a place to exercise their pets as well as an opportunity to meet others who like to get out and share the news of their pets’ latest exploits.
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