Phelps Grove Park

About

Phelps Grove is one of ten historic parks in the Springfield-Greene County Park Board system.

Description

Named for John Smith Phelps, Missouri Congressman, 23rd Governor of Missouri and Springfield founding father, Phelps Grove includes 31 acres of the original 1,000-acre Phelps family homestead.
Creation of Phelps Grove was one of the first projects undertaken by the Springfield (now Springfield-Greene County) Park Board after its formation in 1913.
Known for its mature trees, walking loop and playground, Phelps Grove is beloved by kids, students, neighbors and Springfield residents of all ages. The park also includes tennis courts, a rose garden, Victim's Memorial Garden, stone barbecue pits and large stone pavilion, built in 1916 and designed by Archibald Torbitt, by the same architect which designed the Greene County Courthouse. Fassnight Creek borders Phelps Grove on the south, with the stream channel and picturesque stone bridges built by the WPA.
Historic Markers honoring John Phelps and his wife, Mary Whitney Phelps, are located near the corner of Brookside Drive and Virginia Ave.
To rent the pavilion, call the Park Board office at 417-864-1049

For information about the neighborhood association, visit http://www.phelpsneighborhood.org/phelpsgrovepark.htm

"Phelps Grove Park was one of the first new parks acquired by the Park Board, on April 22, 1914. At the time, the park was south of Springfield city limits. The fieldstone pavilion, bridges and entry gates on Dollison Avenue date to the park’s creation. In the 1930s, McGee-McGregor Wading Pool was constructed and the WPA lined Fassnight Creek with stone. The original park featured zoo animals, relocated to Dickerson Park Zoo in 1923, and a man-made lake, now the site of the Springfield Art Museum. One of Springfield’s founding families, Gov. John S. & Mary Whitney Phelps, homesteaded the park and surrounding neighborhood. Today the 30-acre park is home to mature trees, a paved walking track, a playground, McGee-McGregor Wading Pool, and more"