SPRING PARK
Along an escarpment that has been carved and re-carved by the everchanging courses of the Amite River, a series of springs emerge at the toe of a hillside east of downtown Denham Springs, Louisiana. As a byproduct from geologic processes of the southern Louisiana landscape, the springs have provided fresh water for both wildlife and native people for thousands of years. In the 1700s, European settlers also realized the value of the springs as healing waters. A small village developed around the natural springs, and in the 19th and early 20th centuries, people from the nearby cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans regularly escaped the polluted and overcrowded urban centers to recharge in the picturesque country retreat along the slow and winding river. The original springs—from which Denham Springs owes its name—are arguably one of the most significant historic, cultural, and natural resources in the Denham Springs community.
Because of its location within the Amite River watershed, and perhaps as a result of forward-thinking fore-fathers, the springs and the land around it have been preserved as a park for over one hundred years. The park’s early preservation as a refuge for the community is telling. Early pioneers and leaders of Denham Springs recognized that the springs were a significant natural resource worthy of preservation for the sake of the community.
This sentiment continues today, as the city has made a concerted effort to focus on improving green spaces within and around Denham Springs. As evidenced in many of the recent planning reports and within public questionnaire results, the community also acknowledges that the springs and Spring Park are a significant part of their identity. Their vision for Spring Park is a place where people can gather, reflect, and experience the story of Denham Springs.
This master plan’s approach continues this legacy by uncovering and revealing the stories of Spring Park’s history, culture, and ecology. This report details and presents the master planning process by establishing the concepts that inform the vision for the future of Spring Park. The first part of the document is an analysis which explores the larger historical, archaeological, and environmental contexts. It then focuses in on local site conditions within the boundaries of Spring Park. The second part of the report synthesizes the analysis into one vision—a physical plan that merges community programming input with historic, cultural, and environmental research.
Role/Scope: Primary author, landscape architect. Research, analysis, master planning.
Firm: McKnight Landscape Architects
Graphics: McKnight Landscape Architects