Monroe Park
Encyclopedia
Monroe Park is a 7.5 acres (3 ha) landscaped park
located 1 miles (1.6 km) northwest of the Virginia State Capitol
Building in Richmond, Virginia
. It is named after James Monroe
, the fifth President of the United States
(1817–1825). The park unofficially demarcates the eastern "point" of the Fan District
and is considered to be Richmond's oldest park.
Monroe Park is pentagon
al in shape, with an arrangement of paved paths
among lawn
s 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.
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
of Williams Carter Wickham
was erected in the Park in 1891. Monroe Park was home to the City's first baseball
games.
's Monroe Park campus. In 2005 the Park was installed with public wi-fi
technology.
As of now, artificial lighting
of the park is relatively poor, though there are plans to significantly improve lighting in the near term. The Park also attracts homeless people
, in part due to the proximity of the park to various charitable church
es and feeding programs in the area. Monroe Park is currently the sight of numerous feedings for homeless and other needy folks on Friday and Saturday.
s, pigeons, and wild birds. The park contains many tree
s: some very old and large, such as Magnolia
s and Oak
s, that have existed for many decades. Certain specimens have been nominated for the Remarkable Trees of Virginia program. The plantings surrounding the fountain are maintained by the "Friends of Monroe Park," a private park advocacy group.
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
located 1 miles (1.6 km) northwest of the Virginia State Capitol
Virginia State Capitol
The Virginia State Capitol is the seat of state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in Richmond, the third capital of Virginia. It houses the oldest legislative body in the United States, the Virginia General Assembly...
Building in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. It is named after James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
, the fifth President of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(1817–1825). The park unofficially demarcates the eastern "point" of the Fan District
Fan district
The Fan is a district of Richmond, Virginia, so named because of the "fan" shape of the array of streets that extend west from Belvidere Street, on the eastern edge of Monroe Park, westward to the Boulevard....
and is considered to be Richmond's oldest park.
Monroe Park is pentagon
Pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. A pentagon may be simple or self-intersecting. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagram is an example of a self-intersecting pentagon.- Regular pentagons :In a regular pentagon, all sides are equal in length and...
al in shape, with an arrangement of paved paths
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
among lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
s and mature deciduous trees, intersecting at a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
in the center of the area. This Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
park is currently in the planning process of an historically sensitive, extensive renovation
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
. The "Monroe Park Advisory Council", an organization constituted by Richmond City Councilman
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
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 WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the area was used as a military camp and military hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. A central stone fountain was added in the 1870s and replaced with the current cast iron fountain in the early twentieth century. A bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
of Williams Carter Wickham
Williams Carter Wickham
Williams Carter Wickham was a lawyer, judge, politician, and an important Confederate cavalry general who fought in the Virginia campaigns during the American Civil War...
was erected in the Park in 1891. Monroe Park was home to the City's first baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
games.
Park today
The Park is currently nearly surrounded by VCUVirginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
's Monroe Park campus. In 2005 the Park was installed with public wi-fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
technology.
As of now, artificial lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
of the park is relatively poor, though there are plans to significantly improve lighting in the near term. The Park also attracts homeless people
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, in part due to the proximity of the park to various charitable church
Church Body
A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
es and feeding programs in the area. Monroe Park is currently the sight of numerous feedings for homeless and other needy folks on Friday and Saturday.
Flora and fauna
Monroe Park is home to many squirrelSquirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, pigeons, and wild birds. The park contains many tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s: some very old and large, such as Magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
s and Oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s, that have existed for many decades. Certain specimens have been nominated for the Remarkable Trees of Virginia program. The plantings surrounding the fountain are maintained by the "Friends of Monroe Park," a private park advocacy group.