Woodland Park is located near downtown Lexington. The park was only a portion of Woodlands, the estate of James Erwin, son-in-law of Henry Clay. The Woodland Park Association bought 100 acres of the estate in 1882, sold off 480 lots and used the remaining 15 acres for a park. The park, which was completely fenced in with an entrance at Park Avenue, was opened to the public in May 1885. Two years later a Chautauqua Association was chartered here and they utilized the park for a variety of cultural and educational programs for the public.
There was an auditorium built near the center of the park in the 1880’s that was used for concerts, conventions and other public meetings. Frequently large tents were erected on the grounds for special occasions such as religious meetings, political rallies, barbecues and concerts that were attended by many Lexingtonians and Central Kentuckians.
This park also once contained a small pond called Lake Chenosa. It was in the area of the park that is now a baseball field. People could go swimming or boating in the summer and skating in the winter. It was filled in about 1895 after a young boy broke his neck diving in to swim. It is still known to pond/flood during heavy rains.
The city purchased the property in 1902 as one of the first city parks. Today it remains one of Lexington’s most popular parks and continues to offer special events to the community.
Permission to place this cache was granted by LFUCG Division of Parks and Recreation: Approval Code WP04