   monroe park is a  landscaped park located  northwest of the virginia state capitol building in richmond, virginia. it is named after james monroe, the fifth president of the united states (1817â1825). the park unofficially demarcates the eastern "point" of the fan district and is considered to be richmond's oldest park. monroe park is pentagonal in shape, with an arrangement of paved paths among lawns and mature deciduous trees, intersecting at a cast iron fountain in the center of the area. this victorian park is currently in the planning process of an historically sensitive, extensive renovation. the "monroe park advisory council", an organization constituted by richmond city councilman william pantele in 2003, in partnership with the richmond department of parks, recreation and commununity facilities and richmond's department of community development are leading the renovation initiative. ==history== the land on which the park is located was purchased by the city of richmond in 1851. originally, the land was used as the state agricultural fair grounds in the mid-19th century. during the american civil war the area was used as a military camp and military hospital. a central stone fountain was added in the 1870s and replaced with the current cast iron fountain in the early twentieth century. a bronze monument to williams carter wickham was erected in the park in 1891. monroe park was home to the city's first baseball games.http://www.markerhistory.com/monroe-park-marker-sa-67/ ==park today== the park is currently nearly surrounded by vcu's monroe park campus. in 2005 the park was installed with public wi-fi technology.ht
Historic_district_contributing_properties Historic_district_contributing_properties_in_Virginia National_Register_of_Historic_Places_in_Richmond,_Virginia Parks_in_Richmond,_Virginia Virginia_Commonwealth_University Virginia_Municipal_and_County_Parks