Parkersburg City Park

In 1893, a fateful trip by Parkersburg residents William N. Chancellor and Lily Irene Jackson laid the groundwork for Parkersburg’s City Park. Chancellor and Jackson attended the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and were greatly impressed by the focus on civic spaces and the City Beautiful movement. This movement was a central theme of the 1893 exposition and advocated for cities to focus not only on economic development and industrialization but also on aesthetic value. The two returned to Parkersburg electrified at the prospect of involving the city in the City Beautiful movement. They began advocating for a public space which the city could use to improve the quality of life for its citizens and flex the prosperity of the town.

By 1897, Chancellor and Jackson’s campaigning was successful. The city of Parkersburg purchased forty-two acres of land for $52,000 — approximately $1.6 million adjusted for inflation. Fifteen more acres of land were acquired over the next several years. The land was originally owned by Eugene Lavassor, father-in-law of Joseph H. Diss Debar, who designed the West Virginia state seal. Prior to being purchased by the city, the land was used for a variety of public events including fairs, horse races, and hangings. Parkersburg had a reputation for liberal use of capital punishment and the area likely saw many offenders hanged over the years. The last hanging in Wood County occurred in January of 1868. 

At the time of its purchase, City Park was on the outskirts of Parkersburg and was relatively untamed. After acquiring the land, the city of Parkersburg began transforming it into a true park space. Electricity lines were run in 1903. A water lily pond — the second largest artificial feature of this kind in the world at the time — was added as a major attraction. The pond made headlines in 1913, when pilot Morris Priest crashed a Wright Brothers plane into the water. Another aquatic component was the Jackson Memorial Fountain. It was bequeathed by James Monroe Jackson Jr. to commemorate the Jackson family’s political contributions. The fountain was completed in 1905. It was altered significantly throughout the twentieth century and was destroyed in a windstorm in 2018. The fountain has since been replaced with a faithful reproduction of the original piece.

Water lines were run throughout the park in 1911. This allowed for the expansion of several attractions. A zoo was opened in 1906 and initially housed only a few animals. In many ways, the first iteration of the zoo functioned as a petting zoo, allowing guests to get up close and personal with elk, guinea pigs, and raptors. The addition of water lines allowed the zoo to expand into more exotic animals like bears, hyenas, monkeys, and wolves. The zoo was closed circa 1940 after a wolf attacked a six-year-old visitor and severed the child’s arm. The animals were sold and the enclosures demolished. Running water also allowed for the construction of a public swimming pool sometime in the first two decades of the twentieth century. The pool and clubhouse have changed extensively over the last century but continue to occupy the original location.

In the 1950s and 60s, City Park became increasingly urban as Parkersburg expanded around it. This led to the green space becoming the default location for performances and public events. The Actors Guild of Parkersburg helped lead the charge by hosting frequent productions in the park. When Senator John F. Kennedy was campaigning for president in 1960, he hosted one of his largest events in West Virginia at City Park. Estimates put the number of people in the crowd at four thousand or more. R. P. McDonough cited the rally as the most important stop on Kennedy’s West Virginia tour.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, City Park continued to be updated and expanded. The general acreage has remained roughly the same. However, many new facilities and amenities have been added. These include a walking track, sports complexes, miniature golf, and a live performance venue. Be sure to take City Park’s tour included in this entry to learn more about various features and history of the park. 

Actors Guild of Parkersburg History, Actors Guild of Parkersburg. Accessed April 13th 2021. https://www.actors-guild.com/history.html.

Battleground West Virginia, West Virginia Archives & History. Accessed April 13th 2021. http://www.wvculture.org/history/1960presidentialcampaign/newspapers/19600502parkersburgsentinel.html.

Chambers, S Allen. Parkersburg, SAH Archipedia. January 1st 2012. Accessed April 13th 2021. https://sah-archipedia.org/essays/WV-01-0005-0004-0001.

City Beautiful Movement, The New York Preservation Archive Project. Accessed April 13th 2021. https://www.nypap.org/preservation-history/city-beautiful-movement/.

City Park, Geocaching. June 25th 2016. Accessed April 12th 2021. https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6MCJ7_city-park-multi-stage-puzzle-cache-reboot?guid=1921

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Dawson, Jim. Parkersburg, West Virginia: The City Park, Electric Earl. Accessed April 13th 2021. http://electricearl.com/parkersburg/citypark.html.

Look Back: City Park once held a zoo, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel . February 4th 2017. Accessed April 13th 2021. https://www.newsandsentinel.com/opinion/local-columns/2017/02/look-back-city-park-once-held-a-zoo/.

Parkersburg WV History & Industrial & Commercial Businesses, Mackeys Clock Repair. Accessed April 13th 2021. https://mackeysclockrepair.com/early_parkersburg_wv.html.

Radka, Larry Brian. History of Parkersburg, West Virginia and Environs with Pictures, History Inside Pictures. Accessed April 12th 2021.