Drexel Park

Drexel ParkYear Erected: 2001

Marker Text: 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.

Tips for Finding This Marker: At the intersection of North Patterson and Brookwood Streets in Valdosta