On the heels of the new playground installed recently at downtown Beaufort’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, an announcement has been made by the city that the Washington Street Park playground will soon have a fresh look as new playground equipment is installed this week for toddlers and older children.
According to a City of Beaufort release, the new equipment includes a toddler structure that features slides, climbing steps, and a spinner at an approximate cost of $37,000.
A grant from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Development Fund is covering approximately $29,000 of that.
Also coming is a structure for older kids that includes slides and climbers. It is valued at approximately $36,000, and was won by Downtown Operations Director Linda Roper in a raffle held at the South Carolina Recreation & Parks Association Joint Conference in September 2019.
Some existing playground equipment will remain at the park.
Much of the old equipment dates to the 1970s.
The City hopes to hold a community celebration of the new equipment sometime after it is installed.
Washington Street Park, in the Northwest Quadrant neighborhood, is known for its community gatherings, including free Friday night suppers offered by local churches, city police ‘Night Out’ events, and many other celebrations.
It was developed in the 1940s as the Beaufort County Negro Recreational Center by African-American leaders – the only park in the City at the time for black families and children.
The City of Beaufort manages the park for the non-profit that owns the park. The non-profit is comprised of the descendants of the original families who founded the park.
Washington Street Park is being revitalized in phases. In 2019, restrooms were installed.
