REPORT OF THE BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS To the Honorable, the Mayor and City Council: Gentlemen: The Board of Park Commissioners present this their Twelfth Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31st, 1907, together with a statement of their expenditures, and ask the usual appropriation for park purposes for the coming year. HAMPSTEAD MALL and the parks of the Upper Ward's Division have been maintained in the customary manner and as many improvements were made during the past year as our funds permitted. The hedges around Hampstead Mall and Aiken Park are becoming an attractive feature but we regret to report the Board has been put to considerable expense in the maintenance of the hedges from the fact that the visiting public thoughtlessly break the same to make "short cut" entrances and exits instead of taking the paths laid out for them. Aiken Park has been raised to grade at considerable expense and every effort will be made to cultivate grass within this park. Chicora Park, since the establishment of the Navy Yard, remains only as a name, as only the unimproved timber land remains since the sale of the best part of this park to the United States for a Navy Yard. To preserve order in and around the Terminal of the Consolidated Railway Co. and the entrance to the Navy Yard, the Park Mounted Police is still maintained. This duty should be performed by the Consolidated Railway Co., and the Park Board withdraw the policeman stationed there, for duty at the parks within the city, where his presence is needed. CANNON PARK. With the raising of the grade of Rutledge Avenue at this point, it is necessary to raise the grade of this park around the Auditorium, but the amount appropriated for this purpose in 1907 not being sufficient therefor and the College of Charleston museum authorities not having completed the changes to the Auditorium, nothing was done as to raising the grade of this park and the appropriation asked for 1908 with the amount from 1907 unexpended in the City Treasury, will be used for this purpose the coming year, as it is more economical to do it at one time than in instalments. BATTERY-WHITE POINT GARDEN. The attractive addition to this Park has been the erection of a handsome band stand of iron and stone, the generous gift of Mrs. Waring P. Carrington, and this gift has been duly acknowledged by the Board of Park Commissioners. The Board would respectfully suggest that suitable acknowledgement be made by City Council to Mrs. Waring P. Carrington for this gift, and the City Council Committee on Parks and Pleasure Grounds be requested to have prepared and presented to City Council suitable resolutions thereon, and the same be adopted and forwarded by the Clerk of Council to Mrs. Carrington. There has been much work done on the sea wall of this park and much more is needed and with the limited appropriations it will take a number of years to complete these repairs. Much care and attention has been given to the grounds of White Point Garden which is one of the show places of this City. The other parks of the Lower Ward's Division have been kept in good condition, but the day is not far distant when the walks of Washington Park will have to be relaid, and the Board obliged to ask City Council for an appropriation for cement walks to replace the old brick walks in this park. HAMPTON PARK. This park is becoming more and more attractive to our people and to the visitors of our City, and as its attrac tions become better known, will become the favorite resort of our citizens. At this park our needs are great. On account of the large acreage and the keeping up of the flowerbeds and lawns, the cost of maintenance is large. The wants-especially at this time, are stone curbing to replace the fast decaying wooden curbs to the flower beds. Cement-gravel walks to replace the thin and broken asphalt walks that remained after the Exposition, and a roadway along the river edge. Plans are nearly completed by Messrs. Olmstead Brothers, for the gradual taking of the Rhett Farm as a part of this park and the roadway along the Ashley river. A visit to this park will show clearly the work done at this park which would take many words to set out, and yet convey but feebly the amount of the same. The principal work done has been: Two rooms added to the keeper's cottage; built three bridges in the Sunken Garden; curbed all beds in Sunken Garden with tile, also the driveway around the same; completed in every respect pergola and put in good repair all buildings. The Library Tract is completed, except the cement-gravel walks, stone curb to flower beds, and the walls of the lake. MUSIC AT THE PARKS. The Board of Park Commissioners have been enabled to give band concerts at the Battery and Hampstead Mall on Carolina Day and Thanksgiving Day, the past year. These concerts were all their limited means would permit, although concerts have been given at Hampton Park on Sunday afternoons during certain seasons by the Consolidated Railroad Co. All these concerts were generally appreciated by hundreds of music-loving people, and the Board desires to increase the popularity of the musical feature by high class music and greater strength of bands. In many cities, concerts are given all during the summer months, both afternoon and evening and the expense of same borne by endowment Funds given to the Park Board in trust for this purpose. In other cities there are Park Musical Associations, comprising business men and corporations who yearly obtain funds for the purpose of band concerts in the various parks, and through the Park Boards, arrange the giving of weekly concerts. The city has Hampton Park, The Battery and Hampstead Mall equipped with band stands and the Board of Park Commissioners would cheerfully co-operate with a Park Concert Association to give monthly, semi-monthly or weekly band concerts at all three of these parks as the citizens might desire as to dates, park, or time, if the citizens through an association or otherwise, would assist the Board with funds for the purpose, and conjointly arrange for the same, to be given under the auspices of a Park Concert Association. FINANCIAL. The Park Commissioners have collected as rents, etc., the sum of $1,103.32 and paid same to the City Treasurer and by him, under the ordinances this amount has been carried to the General Income Account of the city. The net cost of care, maintenance and improvements of the park system for 1907 has been to the taxpayers the sum of $9,627.28. The Board of Park Commissioners again earnestly request that as in other cities the income from parks be placed to the credit of the Board of Park Commissioners, and not used for the general expenses of the city, and thus the actual cost of parks to the city be shown. All of which is respectfully submitted: W. G. JEFFORDS, Secy. STATEMENT, RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS. |