Drexel Park
In 1916 five prominent Valdosta businessmen and civic leaders--William S. West, Lowndes W. Shaw, Leonard F. Shaw, Daniel C. Ashley, and Owen K. Jones--donated 11 acres to the city to create a public park. The deed stipulated that the property could only be used as a park. A section was set aside in 1925 for construction of the Woman´s Building, still an important social and civic center for women´s organizations and activities. Originally named Brookwood Park, the land was renamed in 1979 for Richard J. Drexel, a landscape architect who served from 1925 to 1959 as the city´s first Superintendent of Parks. Located at the corner of N. Patterson and Brookwood Streets in Valdosta.
92-1 Erected by The Georgia Historical Society, Lowndes County Historical Society, and the City of Valdosta 2001
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.