Civics
10
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, with the deed stipulating that the property could only be used as a park. In 1925, a section was set aside for construction of the Woman’s Building, which remains 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.
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Valdosta, Georgia · United States
