Westside Park (Chehalis, Washington)

Westside Park is located in Chehalis, Washington in the city's Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District which was catalogued on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1991.[1]

Westside Park
Westside Park, Chehalis, Washington, 2022
Westside Park (Chehalis, Washington) is located in Washington (state)
Westside Park (Chehalis, Washington)
TypePlayground, picnic area
Coordinates46°39′59″N 122°58′42″W
Area1-acre (0.40 ha)
Establishedapprox. 1949
StatusOpen
TerrainFlat
PlantsCherry trees
ParkingStreet
FacilitiesNone

The 1-acre (0.40 ha) park contains basketball courts, a playground, and picnic areas.[2] It is known locally for its blossoming cherry trees, first planted in 1932,[3] and towering conifers.[4][5]

History

The park began in 1894[6][lower-alpha 1] and the area became a playground and recreation area for the West Side School.[8] Due to damages from the 1949 Olympia earthquake, the school was razed and the park became public.[9][10][11]

A memorial bench in the park was dedicated in 2007 to Gavin Crandell, a sixteen year-old who died the prior year after being struck by a train at a crossing 0.5 miles (0.80 km) away. Westside Park was a popular gathering spot for the teenager.[12]

In 2021, a volunteer neighborhood group, the Friends of Westside Park, organized as a non-profit 501(c)(3)[6] and began to oversee improvements to the park.[13] That same year, the group, in collaboration with the Chehalis Foundation, were able to receive a $20,000 earmark for the park from the Chehalis City Council as a beginning funding effort for future renovations.[2] An additional $95,000 in capital was added in 2023. Considered the first of potentially three phases of renovations, the $115,000 total funding is to aid in the purchase of new playground equipment, the construction of a perimeter fence, and to upgrade the sidewalks and parking areas to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).[14]

Westside Park is unable to qualify for listing with the NRHP due to a loss of records during a 1910 fire at the defunct West Side School.[6]

Notes
  1. Early reporting in the area spells the name of the school as West Side, and mentions the year of construction as 1907.[7]

See also

References
  1. "NPGallery Digital Asset Management System". npgallery.nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  2. Rosane, Eric (May 31, 2021). "Chehalis City Council Approves $40,000 for Westside and Lintott-Alexander Park Improvement Groups". The Chronicle. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  3. "Tree Planted On School Grounds". The Centralia Daily Chronicle. February 23, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  4. Mittge, Brian (April 9, 2021). "If the Unthinkable Happens, How Will You Go?". The Chronicle. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  5. Henderer, John (July 9, 1996). "Chehalins joining forces to upgrade park". The Chronicle. p. A3. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  6. Stanton, Carrina (August 28, 2022). "Chehalis Neighbors Rally to Give Historic Park a Facelift". The Chronicle. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  7. "Park Board Is At Work". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. Vol. 25, no. 16. October 11, 1907. p. 2. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  8. "Old West Side PTA Sparks Issue". The Daily Chronicle. February 27, 1962. p. 5. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  9. McClurg, Dian (July 10, 2004). "Parks Gone Wild". The Chronicle. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  10. "1949 Was Earth-Shaking, Heart-Breaking Time Here". The Chronicle. February 17, 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  11. Jones, Pat (March 31, 2007). "Florence Kennicott Lived a Colorful Life". The Chronicle. p. A3. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  12. Haines, Amanda (March 27, 2007). "Memorial Dedicated to Chehalis Teen". The Chronicle. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  13. Mittge, Brian (April 9, 2021). "If the Unthinkable Happens, How Will You Go?". The Chronicle. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  14. Sexton, Owen (January 11, 2023). "Chehalis City Council Approves Funding for Fencing, Playground and Parking at Westside Park". The Chronicle. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
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