Memorial Park

In 1775 the grounds were purchased from Amos Wickersham by the Presbyterian Church for use as a school, church and burial ground. It was originally used as a cemetery. Many of those interred at the burial ground were Danville’s first inhabitants. As with a lot of old cemeteries the upkeep relied on the families of those who were buried there. Since many families moved away or their lines died out the cemetery became an entangled mess of shrubs and vines. With the cemetery in poor condition, the town wanted to clean it up and create a park. The bodies were exhumed and removed in 1908. Grove presbyterian Church officially donated a lot to the town as a public park. In1800 fundraising was conducted to create a memorial for civil war soldiers. You can see the 73’ stone obelisk that was dedicated to the Veterans of the Civil War on May 31, 1909. There has since been other memorials added to commemorate WW1, WW2, and the Vietnam War memorials just to name a few. All of the memorials salute the ultimate sacrifice community members have given to their country.

Memorial Park is always a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the weather, taking in the beauty of the majestic trees planted there and the lovely Grove Presbyterian Church directly across Bloom Street. Throughout the park there are paths dedicated to our military servicemen and women which add a level of awe to the experience as well as and chance to enjoy lovely outdoor memorial art and summer concerts that are held in the park.

Exercise: Push Ups