The Memorial Park is situated in a natural environment soaked with history. The design aims to provide visitors with an atmosphere of natural beauty and peace for quiet meditation.
The project is a demonstration of how infrastructure and ecology can be blended. The land bridge and prairie establish over 45 acres of native Coastal Prairie that will strengthen surrounding ecosystems while providing Houstonians with immersive opportunities to experience this endangered ecoregion.
History
The park has a rich and varied history. The site of the Memorial Park was initially part of the business district in Greenwood. The town founder Levi Davis operated the Davis Inn there until the 1930s.
A decision was made in 1945 to purchase 54 and a half wooded acres south of the city. The property had once been the Clarke County Fairhaven Tuberculosis Sanitarium.
Plans were drawn up and a spirited fund-raising drive was launched to build a facility to honor the local men who had served their country. However, a disagreement broke out over who would oversee the project: The borough had a financial stake; so did the American Legion post.
Cooler heads interceded and the fund-raising effort was redirected toward a memorial park rather than a building. The first addition was the Submariners Monument, which pays tribute to the 52 submariners from Dover who went missing in action during World War Two. The Gold Star Monument was the next, designed to be consistent with style guidelines established by the Woody Williams Foundation and Delaware gold star families.
Symbols
Inscribed on headstones, symbols communicate a person’s values and beliefs. Images like hearts and clasped hands can signify love and devotion; angels can symbolize spirituality or represent the dead flying to heaven. Symbols of community involvement also appear in gravestone carvings, such as Masonic emblems or the intertwined letters “FLT” for members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Memorial park symbols also carry deeper meanings, such as those associated with a specific religion or the nation. On Memorial Day, for example, the United States pauses collectively in solemn tribute to those who died for their country’s freedom. During this time, colors are often used to symbolize bravery, purity and justice.
Among the memorial park’s most important symbols is the fasces (FAS-eez), a bundle of rods bound together. The fasces, found throughout the Lincoln Memorial, conveys a message that our country’s unity and strength come from its many parts coming together as one. A bald eagle adds an American touch to this ancient Roman symbol, further emphasizing the theme of remembrance.
Design
Memorial parks are designed to provide visitors with an atmosphere of natural beauty, peace for quiet meditation, and a sense of dignity and honor. They often include a statue or monument and plaques that commemorate the victims of a tragedy. In addition, they may have gardens, fountains, and benches to provide seating for reflection and remembrance.
The June 5 Memorial Park reconfigures the site at 22nd and Market in an elegant design filled with symbolism, beauty, and nature. Its central feature is a reconstructed Coastal Prairie that helps Houstonians connect with its critical ecological biodiversity and contribute to its resilience in the face of climate change.
Innovative construction methods are used to accentuate the natural qualities of the building materials. The black and gray granites are finished to reveal their variety of granular texture. The concrete is exposed aggregate, revealing a textured surface typically left hidden underneath. Trees were chosen to blossom yearly in remembrance of the memorial’s date, June 5. The landscape integrates with the architecture and evokes a sense of eternity.