Even during the depths of the Great Depression, Morningside Lenox Park residents recognized the singular nature of the site at Piedmont Road and Monroe Drive. It was one of the most trafficked and visible entrances to this beautiful new “suburb” and so in July 1932, the corner was preserved as Smith Park, to honor one of Morningside’s developers, James Robert Smith.
Recently, the MLPA Parks Committee and a group of residents banded together in an effort to revitalize the park and fountain. Residents of Sherwood Road kicked off the fundraising effort for the fountain with a ‘Sherwood Be Good’ block party, held on March 21, 2015. With support from local businesses around Smith Park, neighbors raised more than $4,000 as attendees previewed designs and voted for their favorite. A design for the refurbished fountain was chosen (please scroll down to see the rendering), plans were presented to and approved by the city’s Parks Design Committee, and work on the fountain began. Fundraising continued with a party at Smith’s Olde Bar and with a number of neighbors donating to Smith Park via our fiscal partner, Park Pride. The investment for the fountain is approximately $14,000.
