The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-05
COLLEGE TRACT
4 AS PUBLIC PARK
Council Not Highly in Favor of,
Buying Richmond College
Property.
SUGGESTS EAST END SITE
Growing Movement to Make
Parks More Free to the
People.
SUGGESTS EAST END SITE

Councllnen generally do not take
favorably to the proposition OF pur.
chasing the present Richmond College
tract for city park The tract soon
to be vacated by the college when 1t
moves to It's newly purchased home NJ
Westhampton, embraces four large
city blocks. bounded by Broad. Ryland
Franklin and Lombardy Streets. and
is in some respects beautifully situat-
ed the upper end marking the begin
ming OF the clty's most beautiful
4 thoroughfare. Monument Avenue. and
the site OF the monument to Major Gen
j. r. ID. Stuart. No exact value has been
fixed OH the plat in question, but II
lies in the most highly improved resi-
dental section of the city. With the
old buildings removed and Grace
Stree opened through, the college
] authorities expect to sell 1t off in
| lots for sufficient sum to pay o
| large part of the cost of the proposed
: new buildings In fact, for years the |
trustees have complained that ths
college was sitting down on the most
valuable part of its endowment" the
college campus.
REASONS For md Against.
I In favor of the proposition to pun
4 chase the tract as park 1t is ar
gued that 1t is practically all open;
that 1t may be acquired without the
demolishing of expensive buildings
as would be the in buying park
" property elsewhere, and that the grow
Ing residential section of the West
End will soon demand additional park
space as all vacant lots are being
built over. and less and less OF open
breatng room ls left
Against the proposition 1t is held
w. 10 hut
he blocks away; that Monument Avenue
nd itself Is practically park. and that
as the prosperous residential section OF
n the western end of the city does not
q. az need additional park space to so great
~ Il degree as do the poorer sections OF
ID. the city. Residents of Lee District.
II. as rule go away from Richmond for
nd the summer, while among people of
no lesser means tho parks afford the only
~. breathing spaces the year round for
IL both grown people and children.
on AS an alternate to the proposition to
in purchase the Richmond College tract,
ne It has been suggested that the city
a. acquire the old Van Lew property on
''s Church HILL and make it an annex
,,a 70 what is now known as Taylors Hill
pc Park. With but little alteration the
The grounds of the famous old mansion
=! u, lend themselves to the purposes OF a
no public park and whether the mouse
Is left standing a landmark or re-
moved. the grounds would afford
most admirable park for section
which is now served only by steep
terraced hillside purchased by the
III city largely because 1T could be USED
T.. for no other purpose.
he Many Beautiful Parks.
the The slopes of Church Hill have lent
nu themselves admirably to parking pur-
i'd poses jefferson Park, lying north OF
Zee, Marshal Street. from Twenty-hrst u
her Twenty third, has been highly devel'
OF oped into one of the most peau.iiu
the breathing spaces in the city, and bu
!, i, for the fact that strict regulation
or H. prohibit even stepping on the sacre.
am. grass the park would be genera!
ar patroni2ed in the hot months. Souti
and of Broad street the city has recent!
oast acquired the TayIor's Hill property,
to round bluff from Broad to Frankll
street which it is now improving, blu
which Will never be more than ter
D raced hillside Adjoining this on IN
east. with only pathway betweet
Ios Is the Van Lew property, occupyie
''"' for = time by the Virginia Club, an
- more lately by DR.. Parkers Sanato
INIT rum II is now vacant. Further o
day around the slope in Marshall Ward
vice Libby Hill Park. surrounding the so
enl- diers' and Sailors Monument, at IN
Dyed eastern end of Main Street, and sti
further to the eastward is Chimboraz
tant WIN us te,tiui - N ,i,
saws play tennis, with only minor restrit
tons
. Curiously enough. the most restricte
rr. mark in the city in It's use Is the lare
est. known as William Byrd ParK' SUI
srounding the new reservoir
There the rules of the park keept
have approached the absurd, the pre
lection of the sacred grass being pusl
ed to an extreme not equalled IN Il
smallest triangle In the city, al
\ which Is surprising IN the extreme
those who have seen thousands sleel
ing on hot nights on the grass OF &c
trail Park, New York, or witnessed q
real uses to which the poorer Poop
of other cities put the larger PARK
Even over on the far side or the la
in William Byrd PARK, Whsfs , ,ne.t
little pretense of grass, and where U
benches are attractively grouped aW'
from the walkways, the few sprigs
grass are sacred.
Keep on the Grass.
few days ago two young me
both night workers. Went oul -
/ Reservoir about II o'clock IN the NOR
"a ing seeking shady place ror rel
from hot rooms where sleep was
"a possible, A watchful park pol,ee =,
Va nounced on them and prohibited IN
oS Ilyinr on the grass they misht
~ tba grass. picnic on the grass. we
on the grass; but to stretch out
tnu length and rest was violation
. ,he orders Of some Council commit
and the policemen had no option
a order the tired workers back
\ their hot rooms
some day the public VIII get
idea that parks are for puniic uses
are not private grounds Tor the pi
,aoners from which the public n
he ordered at arbitrary hours, as
he case in jefferson Park last 81
n,er. and in which theSismay lie
the grass md res, under the shade
he trees irrespective of the orders
some minimizing Council comm,
rhen tho demand for municipal pl
mounds will he less insstent and
cf. epen breathing spaces will be pleas
snots where old and young man SD
- i .ln..s tho hotter nlGhts