Editor’s note: third in a series of four.
By November 1910, John Nolen, nationally known landscape architect and city planner, had visited Chattanooga on four occasions. His appreciation for the mountains and the river’s bend had inspired a preliminary plan that would “make a far different Mountain city in so far as appearances go, as well as pleasure and health.”
While his idea was only conceptual at that point, he had identified key points for consideration.
First, Nolen’s survey showed that Chattanooga had no more than 25 acres of parks, excluding the green spaces surrounding a portion of the Chattanooga National Cemetery. The parks in progressive cities of comparable size averaged approximately 250 acres. In presenting to Mayor T.C. Thompson and council members, Nolan stated that his plan would be based on a similar-sized system and cost approximately $500,000, including the purchase of land and associated construction. He reminded city fathers that they also should set aside money for ongoing park maintenance.
Additionally, the architect/planner pointed out that Chattanooga’s layout would be designed to “take advantage of the natural features … such as the river, mountains, islands, ridges, creeks and groves, or woodlands.” In sharing his thoughts, Nolen paused for effect and noted that these are “ready-made parks and should be selected” not only because they can easily be adapted for that purpose but also because they were “not so well suited for” residential or industrial development. Selecting those areas played to Chattanooga’s best features, since they could also be purchased at a lesser cost, and their natural landscape would be less expensive to maintain. One other major consideration: Chattanooga had a feature that most other cities lacked. Its federal parks anchored the city’s rich history and drew visitors, resulting in tourist dollars that would support the investments necessary for expansion.