Highland Park (Meridian, Mississippi)
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| Highland Park | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| (U.S. Registered Historic District) | |
 Lagoon in Highland Park
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  Location of Highland Park in Mississippi
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| Location: | Meridian, Mississippi |
| Coordinates: | |
| Built/Founded: | 1909 |
| Architect: | Arp,Adolph R. |
| Added to NRHP: | February 28, 1979 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 79001325 [1] |
| Governing body: | Local |
Highland Park is a historic park in Meridian, Mississippi. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the park houses a Jimmie Rodgers museum[1] honoring the Meridian-born country legend and displaying the original guitar of the so-called "Singing Brakeman," along with other memorabilia of his life and career and various railroading equipment from the steam-engine era — Meridian's "golden age". In addition to the museum building itself, outside memorials honor the country star, and a vintage steam locomotive is displayed on a small section of railroad track, symbolizing Meridian's strong ties to railroading history.
The park is also home to the Highland Park Dentzel Carousel and Shelter Building, a National Historic Landmark manufactured around 1896 by Gustav Dentzel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The historic carousel is the only two-row stationary Dentzel menagerie in existence.
Highland Park is also the former host Meridian's annual Arts in the Park festival, held on the first Saturday in April each year. The festival, relocated to Bonita Lakes in 2006[2], provides free, high quality art exhibits, activities, and performances designed for children and adults alike in an effort to increase knowledge of the arts for Citizens of Meridian and Lauderdale County.[3]
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[edit] History
The history of Highland Park begins in 1889 when the area was used as the Meridian Fair and Livestock Exposition. When the Fair and Exposition Corporation dissolved in 1906, ownership of the land was transferred to the newly formed Park Association, established as a non-profit corporation to assemble property and develop initial plans for Highland Park. At the time Highland Park was designed, there was a national trend for streetcar pleasure parks, and electric railway companies wanted to increase their operations by owning or investing in these parks. The Meridian Light and Railway Company followed the national trend, building a rail line beginning at 8th Street and following 34th Avenue until it turned west between 19th and 20th Streets and continuing west into Highland Park. The company also cooperated with the city to build the park itself in 1908 and provide band concerts for its amphitheater.[4]
Since its opening, Highland Park has remained open year round to visitors, serving them with grand scenery, interesting history, and various local events.[5]
[edit] Arts in the Park
The park hosted the annual Arts in the Park festival from the festival's premiere in 1971 until 2006, when the Meridian Council of Arts decided to move the festival to Bonita Lakes, another location in Meridian; the festival has since remained in Bonita Lakes.[2]
Arts in the Park, held from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the first Saturday in April[2], provides a multi-discipline venue for artists, craftsmen, musicians and performers. Local dance groups, martial arts groups, drama groups, gospel-drama groups, gospel praise dance teams, singers, bands and choral groups perform their art for crowds of people on two separate entertainment stages. The festival features a juried art competition and show as well as a non-competition craft area. Arts in the Park acts as a revenue source for non-profit groups as well as a showcase for the Arts. In general the non-profit groups that take part in Arts in the Park are art organizations, local churches, and various community wide charitable organizations.[3]
[edit] Features
A 1978 diagram[6] of the park indicates its features include:
- Alligator pond
- Amphitheater
- Band stand
- Carousel house and Dentzel Carousel
- Dance pavilion
- Frank Cochran Center
- Gazebo
- Greenhouse
- Lagoon
- Picnic shelters
- Pedestrian promenade
- Statues and monuments
- Streetcar platform
- Swimming pools, and small pool
- Tennis courts
- Jimmie Rodgers Museum & train
Other features include[5]:
- Baseball field
- Softball fields
- Playground
[edit] Images
 Historic Dentzel Carousel |
 Jimmie Rodgers Museum |
 Jimmie Rodgers Museum sign |
 Ducks in the park |
[edit] References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ a b c Arts in the Park
- ^ a b Meridian Council of the Arts
- ^ City of Meridian, MS - Historic Neighborhoods
- ^ a b Meridian, MS - Attractions
- ^ James H. Charleton (October, 1985), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Highland Park Dentzel Carousel & Shelter BuildingPDF (495 KiB), National Park Service and Accompanying 1 photo, exterior, from 1985.PDF (221 KiB)
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