United Way Centennial Park of Jasper
Mission and Purpose
celebrating 100 years of service to Alabama
Thanks to the steadfast support from our generous donors and dedicated volunteers, the United Way of Central Alabama has been instrumental in positively impacting lives and fostering significant change throughout Central Alabama for a century. Alongside our Centennial Celebration held on June 24th and the Forever United campaign, which aimed to raise the endowment fund to $100 million in honor of our 100-year legacy, we are upholding our commitment to service. This involves undertaking commemorative community projects across the six counties under our purview.
These initiatives will revolve around the establishment of community parks, with a focus on fostering enduring partnerships that extend beyond the initial construction phase. Through yearly clean-up efforts, beautification projects, and the potential for future expansions, we aim to create sustained volunteer opportunities within each community, reinforcing our dedication to making a lasting impact.
Park Amenities and Elements
Customized amenities for each park will be tailored to meet the specific needs of each community. The Centennial Parks Aim to create vibrant hubs fostering unity and connectivity within the community through including a variety of site elements and amenties such as follows:
Versatile outdoor classrooms for civic clubs, church groups, and neighborhood associations.
Large pavilions designed for multi-use functions within the community park.
Equipped with multiple picnic tables and amenities for diverse activities.
Safe, covered spaces for gatherings, promoting community engagement.
Ideal for meetings, events, and spontaneous interactions among residents.
Parks feature fitness and play equipment like swings, pickleball courts, and more.
Additional recreational features include picnic tables, benches, and garden elements.
Site History and Context
After conducting some research at the county courthouse and obtaining some public tax documents from the 1950's, I discovered that the site used to be the location for a local Pipe Manufacturer, Brown Pipe Company. After discovering the information about the previous owners and historical use of the site, I went to the Jasper Public library where I put in a request for some information concerning the founding members and the company as a whole. The librarians were extremely helpful and we were able to uncover some historical newspaper articles in special collections that provided some historical imagery of what used to sit on the site, and the operations of the company and products they produced.
Brown Pipe Company was a concrete pipe manufacturer for walker county and surrounding areas. They produced concrete municipal piping of various sizes that they shipped all over northwestern Alabama. As the company grew they hired more employees in the area and ultimately began to produce other products such as concrete outdoor furniture and tables, as well as various other kinds of piping.
I thought this might be useful information for you and the United Way as you make headway on the development of the project. This information, historical Imagery, and various concrete furniture elements that were produced on site might be motifs, footprints, and information that could be used in the development of the new design for the park.
Inspiration
The schematic design of the project aims to accomplish several goals that complement the united ways mission to service the larger community of jasper through the construction of the Park. Increased community use of amenities creates community and fosters interpersonal relations that strengthen communities and bring individuals together. Thoughtful storm water management systems, bioswales, native plantings, and local material selections serve to reduce the overall impact of construction and create a sustainable landscape for future residents to enjoy that is ecologically and physically functional. Motifs from local structures and parks, such as the proposed shape of the shade structures, reference current Amenities jasper already has, while the layouts and various planting zones could be laid out to mirror the former footprints of Buildings and material off loading zones that were once present on site.
