A memorial park is a place of honor to remember and pay tribute to a loved one. It also offers a space of quiet reflection and quietude to heal and restore.
Unlike traditional cemeteries, memorial parks use dignified engraved markers lying flat on landscaped plots to memorialize a grave. This allows visitors to enjoy beautifully manicured garden-style grounds without distractions.
The Design
Memorial parks are new types of cemeteries that were introduced about 75 years ago. Unlike traditional cemeteries, which have upright monuments, these are places where bronze memorials sit level with the ground and blend with the landscape.
Using a mix of materials, the design of this park draws inspiration from traditional Chinese gardens. The use of interlinking pathways and courtyards creates a space for people to gather, walk around, and enjoy the beauty of the landscape.
The master plan prioritizes ecological resilience, interpretative narratives, and the reconnection of disjointed spaces to create a healthy and vibrant park. Water runoff from storm events was analyzed and proposed retention ponds were designed to mitigate water loss and increase the biodiversity of aquatic habitats within the site.
The Pools
If you’re looking for a fun place to take the kids for a swim, this is it. There are two slides, shaded picnic tables, and an attentive lifeguard team.
There’s also a small park nearby that has some nice trees and some play ground equipment. It’s a nice spot to grab lunch or just relax and look at the scenery.
It’s a pretty popular spot, though it can get crowded. It also has a slide and is known to be clean, but it’s not as shady as other parks.
The pool at this park is the largest in the city and has several features to offer including a kid’s pool, a lap pool, and a water playground pool. It also has a splash pad, water slide, and an ice cream kiosk.
The Plaque
One of the many ribbon winners in the recent grand opening of the park, the bronze plaque at the hearth has a slick looking high-tech look and feel. Designed by a venerable gent and built to last, the plaque is a worthy recipient of this honor. Besides the accolades, the best part of the experience is a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that you’ve redeemed a small slice of Maplewood history. Hopefully, it will serve as a benchmark to be measured for years to come.
The Trees
Trees are an important part of the Memorial Park experience and provide a beautiful backdrop for the Pools. The Conservancy offers two programs for community members to participate in the preservation and enhancement of Memorial Park’s tree collection.
The Commemorative Tree & Memorial Bench Program allows family and friends to plant a tree in memory of a loved one or to honor someone they care about. Each commemorative tree includes a engraved plaque attached to a concrete post.
For more information, call the Holly Springs Parks and Recreation Department at 727.759.3355 or send an email to the Parks and Recreation Department at [email protected].
The City’s tree replacement plan proposes the removal of many of the declining and dying trees in Memorial Park over the next 10 years, if they are susceptible to pests or disease. This work will be undertaken by the Department of Public Works in cooperation with the Maplewood Memorial Park Conservancy, and planting of new trees will begin as soon as suitable trees are found and transplanting times are appropriate.