EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on Richland Source in 2014.
MANSFIELD — The gazebo is a familiar site on Park Avenue West today, where it stands atop a hill in South Park. But the longest part of its history was spent in a different place not too far away.
Originally the little “resting pavilion” was a feature in the landscape of Middle Park, and the octagonal structure rose on a small knoll to the east of the park drive.
When the parks were first established in 1888, the gazebo site in Middle Park was prepared with a planting of Norway Spruces, and when the trees reached a height of 8-10 feet the iron Victorian-era pavilion was placed there.
By the 1980s its roof had decayed to such an extent that restorative measures were necessary, so in the revitalization process the structure was moved to a more prominent site a couple hundred yards away.
Photos come from collections of Phil Stoodt, the Richland County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, and Anita Hickinbotham.
Timothy Brian McKee is a featured columnist on our site every Sunday with a column titled Native Son. Every Tuesday, he taps into his knowledge and collection of historical photos and bring us Then & Now, a brief glance at the way things were.
