Many in Ferndale have worked hard for the past 100 years to create, maintain, and operate enjoyable parks! For a city under four square miles in size, it is a treasure to have 14 "official" parks - and several "unofficial" recreation areas.

City Manager Jay F. Gibbs and School Superintendent Edgar F. Downs jointly approved the acquisition of park properties for both green space and playing fields in 1940, resulting in the establishment of Harding, Wilson, Taft, and Jefferson, then later, Martin Road, Mapledale, and Wanda parks. Below are some historical highlights.

1 - Fair Park [1.27 Acres "Mini" Park] Earliest mention is 1972. Named for the street that leads to the park. It offers a 3-block walking path along side the Grand Trunk railroad.

2 - Garbutt Park [6.3 Acres "Neighborhood" Park]
Park creation was approved in 1940 and named Taft park in 1942 after the nearby school. Renamed in honor of Ferndale Mayor Bruce D. Garbutt in February 1970 - who was still serving at that time. Garbutt was, at one time, the longest-serving mayor in the United States having served 11 terms.

3 - Geary/Roosevelt Park [9.65 Acres "Neighborhood" Park]
In 1937 the Hough family donated 8.5 acres at Pinecrest and Earle Boulevard to the city as a park and playground (more about the Houghs HERE). Initially this was called Catalpa Park, then named after President Theodore Roosevelt in April 1942. In the late 1950s it was a serious contender to be the site of the new High School. In the Fall of 1994 the park was renamed in honor of Ferndale Police Chief Donald “Red” Geary.

A tragic Naval air crash in 1946 at the West end has been memorialized with a monument in the park. That history is HERE. Geary is home to many other memorials which you can explore HERE.

In the early 1960s there was a well-developed plan to build a community pool in Roosevelt Park at the corner of Central and West Lewiston for a projected cost of $115k (brochure HERE). After years of debate, petitions, & questionnaires the city was still split 50/50 about the plan. The most common objection was "I love pools, just not in my back yard". By the late 1960s the pool idea moved to Wilson park and cost estimates continued to climb. The plan was ultimately put to a vote on Aug 4, 1970. It asked if the city should borrow $390,000 to build an outdoor swimming pool and facilities. It was defeated 4,205 "No" to 1,101 "Yes" votes. To this day an outdoor pool is typically among the top 3 "wish list" items for Ferndale residents.

4 - Harding Park [17.65 Acres "Community" Park]
Much folklore surrounds this park. Initial land was purchased from the State of Michigan in 1940-41 with more land purchased in 1945 and 1948. It was named after President Warren G. Harding in April 1942. In 1944-1945 all available land in this park was used for Victory Gardens. Bathrooms were added in 1950.

In 1951 the U.S. Government acquired a 5 year lease of the northern 8.4 acres of the then 18.2 acre park for an Anti Aircraft gun installation. People remember the canvas covered fencing, Quonset huts, and occasionally seeing the four 90mm guns. In 1956 the lease was extended by1 year. By 1957 the installation was deemed "out-moded" and the men stationed at Harding were trained and reassigned to the ring of NIKE missile bases surrounding Detroit. The lease was ended as of Dec 31, 1957 and the government paid over $9,000 to help restore the park in 1958.

No evidence has ever been found that Harding was a NIKE Missile site. There is a great deal of information online about the ring of actual NIKE missile sites surrounding Metro Detroit, but Ferndale was not one of them. Actual NIKE missile sites required nearly 50 acres of land for all components of the installation. Also the missiles had to be "exercised" daily rising to an upright position which would tower above area buildings. Unfortunately newspapers of the day spread confusion by incorrectly calling Ferndale's Anti Aircraft Artillery installation a "NIKE Site".

Also, no evidence has been found that there was any prisoner of War (POW) camps in Ferndale and no such camps appear in aerial views of the park from the 1940s. There was apparently a temporary POW camp housing Italian and German soldiers (who worked as day labor in area fields and factories), at the Michigan State Fair grounds during WWII. So far no confirmation of that camp has been found.

Harding Park is the home of the Kayla White memorial playscape. It also includes the Sidney G. Hill Memorial Tot Lot at the South end of the park. Mr. Hill worked for 19 years to improve the park. The lot was dedicated in 1965 and the sign replaced in 2003.

5 - Kulick Park [2.82 Acres "Neighborhood" Park]
Formed in the 1920s next to Washington School, its ice rink was operational since at least the early 1930s. It park area was just referred to as "Washington School" for decades. The building was renamed to "Kulick Center" on Sept 22, 2001 at which time the grounds were presumably referred to as "Kulick Park". The Kulick Community Center also housed the Parks & Recreation staff until it was closed in Spring 2020. More history can be found HERE.

Prior to Washington School being built in 1922, the area was called "Ferndale Park" and is mentioned as a gathering place for many events.

6 - Lennon Memorial Park [4.18 Acres "Neighborhood" Park]
The earliest mention of Mapledale Park, named after the adjacent street, was Oct 1944. In March 2005 it was renamed in honor of former Ferndale Mayor Bernie Lennon.

7 - Marie Park [0.22 Acres "Mini" Park]
Created in the early 1980s, it was named after the street leading you to it. Earliest mention was in January 1981 as a school bus stop.

8 - Martin Road Park [31.82 Acres "Community" Park]
Named in April 1942 after the adjoining Martin School, this is the city’s largest park. The park has many unique features, including skating rinks, playgrounds and is home to the Ferndale Curling Club.

Martin Road Park also hosts Ferndale's only big hill. The city used the Southern area for waste storage in the 1930s-1940s. Debris, such as large concrete blocks, old tree stumps, and large waste from other city projects has held there. The land was never used for household waste or garbage.

The debris was piled and covered with dirt in the early 1950s to make a play area. The height was increased by 10 feet in the early 1980s with dirt excavated from the 696 dig. Making it a popular winter sledding hill!

9 - Oakridge Park [0.54 Acres "Mini" Park]
Created in April 1940 because the strip of land was too small to build on. It was named in April 1942 after the adjacent road, it runs along West Oakridge near Woodward. It was nearly sold in 2003 and became an official city park in 2006.

10 - Oppenheim Park [2.35 Acres "Neighborhood" Park]
Formed in 1940 when the Machpelah Cemetery donated the land to Ferndale for a park. It was named in April 1942 as St. Louis Park after the the street it was on. Per an agreement in 1969 it was renamed the David Oppenheim Memorial Park after the founder of the Machpelah Cemetery. A 1983 dispute nearly folded the park back into the cemetery grounds, but after extensive discussions, and neighbor objections, it was allowed to stay as a park (detail in Dec 19, 1983 City Council Minutes).

11 - Schiffer Park [0.13 Acres, smallest in Ferndale, "Mini" Park]
A tiny downtown park named in 1982 after former Ferndale Mayor Henry A. Schiffer for his dedicated service and attention to Parks and Recreation matters.

12 - Vester Park [0.89 Acres "Mini" Park]
Earliest mention is 1983. Formed at the intersection of Vester and Farrow streets.

13 - Wanda Park [3.17 Acres "Neighborhood" Park]
Approved in 1940, earliest record found is 1944. Created just west of I-75. Sharing the name with the Elementary School in Hazel Park as well as the adjacent street.

14 - Wilson Park [7.34 Acres "Neighborhood" Park]
Approved 1940. In 1941 the city purchased land from the School Board, the park was named in April 1942 after nearby Wilson School (which was named after President Woodrow Wilson). In 1944-1945 all available land in this park was used for Victory Gardens. The school is now known as University High School. In the late 1960s this was thought to be a good place for a community pool, but the city voted that down. This park is also where Ferndale's "Moon Tree" now resides (more history HERE).

DECOMMISSIONED PARKS

Goulson / Saratoga Park - Founded in the early 1940s was renamed Saratoga Park for the road it was on. On July 28th 2014 it was decommissioned and no longer considered a park.

UNOFFICIAL PARKS

Ferndale folks like to enjoy the great outdoors! That is why areas around schools, the Memorial Mall on Livernois, and even the medians on Woodward frequently become impromptu parks!

If you have updates, photos, or information to add please email us at: info@ferndalehistoricalsociety.org