Timeline

Photo courtesy of Jacksonville Historic Society

Historic information has been obtained from the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; the Olmsted Historic Site, Brookline, Massachusetts; the Memorial Park Association archives held at the Jacksonville Historic Society, and the Jacksonville Public Library, and other sources around the country.

Park Timeline

March 2013

Memorial Park Association Board of Directors adopts a Master Plan recommended by David Sacks, an Atlanta-based landscape architect.

June 2013

The City of Jacksonville City Council adopts the work of David Sacks as the MPA Master Plan to move forward.

2014

The City of Jacksonville offers a matching grant of $200,000 to restore the “Spiritualized Life” sculpture and fountain. The matching funds are raised from past and current members of the Board of Directors of MPA.

February 2015

First Amendment to Agreement between the City of Jacksonville and MPA is approved.

September 2015

MPA adopts a Long-Range Plan with the goal of having the park completely restored by its 100th birthday, December 25, 2024.

November 2015

Third restoration of Life sculpture is done by McKay Lodge of Overland, Ohio.

2016

A list of capital improvements in the Master Plan are identified and itemized.

January 2017

Olmsted authority Laurence Cotton holds Q&A session after screening of documentary, “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America,” at Sun-Ray Cinema.

July 2017

A “quiet phase” of the Spirit of Victory $2.5 million capital campaign is launched with the first gift of $100,000. The Construction Committee begins oversight of capital improvements with the City of Jacksonville.

September 10, 2017
September 10, 2017

Hurricane Irma hits Jacksonville as a Category 4 storm, destroys the park balustrade and floods the fountain and most of the park grounds. Pictures of the iconic “Spiritualized Life” sculpture with water over the bulkhead are in newspapers from Los Angeles to London. Memorial Park launches a recovery fund to repair damage to the park lawn, benches and balustrade.