Devou Park

Devou Park
Devou Park
	View of Covington and Cincinnati from Memorial Overlook in Devou Park
Location	Covington, Kentucky
Operated by	City of Covington Parks & Recreation Division
Website	https://www.covingtonky.gov/government/departments/neighborhood-services/parks-recreation/parks/devou-park

Last updated July 28, 2024

Devou Park is a city park in Covington, Kentucky. Encompassing 700 acres (280 ha), it is the city's largest park.^[1] The hilltop park's overlooks offer panoramic views of the Cincinnati skyline and the Ohio River valley below.^[2]

History

In 1867, Louisa Devou purchased a parcel of land west of Covington, Kentucky, and her brother William and his wife Sarah Ogden Devou soon after bought adjoining acreage on bluffs above the Ohio River. Louisa's land passed to William upon her death, and William and Sarah Devou and their sons continued to acquire nearby land through 1908. In all, the estate encompassed 505 acres assembled from 41 purchased tracts, much of this land originally owned by the Montague and Eubank families.

Proceeds from William Devou's millinery supply business funded many of these acquisitions, and the Devous improved and expanded a homestead on the site (the Eubank-Devou house) and developed some of the acreage for a family farm. Upon Sarah Ogden Devou's death in 1910, sons William and Charles granted the estate to the city of Covington, on the following conditions: that the city spend $100,000 for park improvements in the first six years after the land transfer, that the park carry the family name, and that Charles would continue to live in the family homestead.

After the Covington Park Board accepted the donation, Covington voters approved a $100,000 bond issue in 1910, and the city took possession of the property on November 28, 1910. In 1911, the Park Board hired J.J. Weaver to survey and plan roads connecting the park to existing arteries, and two roads were completed in 1912. Two years later, the city built a series of concrete staircases alternating with paths that connected and the overlook with the city below on Western Avenue.

Charles Devou worked as the park's superintendent until shortly before his death in 1922. And when William Devou Jr. died in 1937, most of his assets (appraised at almost $1.1 million) were deeded in trust to maintain the park.

In 1967, the City of Covington executed a land swap that ceded land needed for improvements to Dixie Highway and for the Covington campus of Northern Kentucky University. In return, Devou Park expanded across Sleepy Hollow Road onto hills overlooking Ludlow, Kentucky. The park now covers more than 700 contiguous acres.

Historical features

Historians have identified and located two Civil War fortifications within the park, in the hills west of Sleepy Hollow Road: Battery Coombs (1861) and Battery Bates (1862).

William and Sarah Devou inherited a single-story brick house built in the Federal style and built a two-story stone addition adorned with a gabled roof in the style of a Swiss chalet. Charles lived in the house until his death; the building now displays the collections of the Behringer-Crawford Museum (originally the William Behringer Memorial Museum).

A large dry-stone spring complex occupies a hillside below the homestead. In the donation deed, the Devous included a condition that stipulated "the several fine springs and wells to be carefully preserved."

The north-central sector of the park features Prisoner's Lake, so-named for jail inmates whom the city detailed to quarry and crush limestone from an existing quarry starting in 1916. Prisoners worked the site (and sometimes escaped) until 1920, excavating the quarry to the current depth of the lake (water filled the quarry in 1924), which is now stocked with bass, trout, bluegill, sunfish, and catfish and hosts an annual fishing derby for Covington youth.

Historical amenities

Partly in response to Charles Devou's mandate that the city make provisions to raise revenue sufficient to maintain park amenities, the City Commission planned a municipal and revenue-generating golf course in 1922. John Brophy of Fort Mitchell, Kentucky designed the original nine holes, and the Covington Tennis Club proposed five clay tennis courts in 1923. A clubhouse for golfers and tennis players was designed in 1929 by Leslie Deglow but lasted only until a fire destroyed it in 1933. Its successor was built in 1934.

In 1938, a $97,251 grant from the Works Progress Administration funded two swimming pools, a shelter house constructed of native fieldstone at a point overlooking the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati, and a bandshell occupying a natural amphitheater. A crowd of 40,000 attended an inaugural concert in August 1939.

New Deal-era federal funding also sponsored the construction of two smaller stone shelters and a series of concrete-and-flagstone benches.

In 1958, the Memorial Building replaced the original shelter house at the overlook.

Current amenities

Today Devou Park boasts four reservable picnic shelters – Volpenhein Pavilion, the Stone Shelter, Michael Breaden Picnic Shelter, and the shelter at Gus Sheehan Park; an expanded 18-hole golf course that opened in 1995 after a robust community discussion; an 18-hole disc golf course; the John Volz and Benny Vastine nature trails; and several miles of paved hike-bike trails that link major attractions in the park. An additional twelve miles of multi-use backcountry trails (maintained by volunteers from the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance) criss-cross the woods on either side of Sleepy Hollow Road.

The original bandshell still hosts concerts and plays throughout the summer months, including a regular schedule with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, bluegrass concerts, Shakespeare performances, and film screenings.

The Drees Pavilion, which opened in 2003 on the overlook site of the Memorial Building, was built and donated to the park by the Drees Company. Managed by the Devou Properties, Inc., the Pavilion hosts events year-round and designates excess profits to fund projects throughout the park.

The Devou Golf and Event Center opened in 2017 and features a large gathering space, a patio overlooking the golf course, a bar and grill, and a pro shop.

Museum

The Behringer-Crawford Museum, which has occupied the Eubank-Devou house since 1950, documents the natural and cultural history of Northern Kentucky. The museum curates a large collection of local artifacts and features rotating exhibitions throughout the year, as well as hosting a summer music series, historical lectures, and the freshART show to benefit educational programming. Adjacent to the museum is NaturePlay@BCM, a nature-themed play area that doubles as a WinterWonderland Christmas lights display.

Sports Events

From 2014 to 2016 the Pan American Cyclo-cross Championships were held in the park.^[3]

Related Research Articles

Russell is a home rule-class city on the south bank of the Ohio River in Greenup County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,380 as of the 2010 census, down from 3,645 in 2000. Russell is a suburb of Ashland and part of the Huntington-Ashland-Ironton metropolitan area. It has close economic affiliations with its neighbors, Ashland and Flatwoods in Kentucky and Ironton, Ohio.

Covington is a home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers, it lies south of Cincinnati, Ohio, across the Ohio and west of Newport, Kentucky, across the Licking. It had a population of 40,691 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in Northern Kentucky and the fifth-most populous city in the state. A part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area, it is one of Kenton County's two seats, along with Independence.

Edgewood is a home rule–class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,435 at the 2020 census. It was named for an early homestead in Walker Estates.

Independence is a home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It is one of its county's two seats of government. The population was 28,676 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the third largest city in Northern Kentucky after Covington and Florence, and is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area.

Cherokee Park is a 409-acre (166 ha) municipal park located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States and is part of the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy. It was designed in 1891 by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture along with 18 of Louisville's 123 parks. Beargrass Creek runs through much of the park, and is crossed by numerous pedestrian and automobile bridges.

Kykuit, known also as the John D. Rockefeller Estate, is a 40-room historic house museum in Pocantico Hills, a hamlet in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York 25 miles (40 km) north of New York City. The house was built for oil tycoon and Rockefeller family patriarch John D. Rockefeller. Conceived largely by his son, John D. Rockefeller Jr., and enriched by the art collection of the third-generation scion, Governor of New York, and Vice President of the United States, Nelson Rockefeller, it was home to four generations of the family. The house is a National Historic Landmark owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and tours are given by Historic Hudson Valley.

Rockefeller State Park Preserve is a state park in Mount Pleasant, New York in the eastern foothills of the Hudson River in Westchester County. Common activities in the park include horse-riding, walking, jogging, running, bird-watching, and fishing. The park has a rich history and was donated to the State of New York over time by the Rockefeller family beginning in 1983. A section of the park, the Rockwood Hall property, fronts the Hudson River. It was formerly the private residence of William Rockefeller, and began use as a New York state park in the early 1970s. In 2018, the park was added to New York's State Register of Historic Places.

Swisshelm Park is a neighborhood located in the southeast corner of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is represented on the Pittsburgh City Council by Barbara Warwick. Swisshelm Park houses PBF 19 Engine, and is covered by PBP Zone 4 and the Bureau of EMS Medic 7.

Cumberland Mountain State Park is a state park in Cumberland County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of 1,720 acres (7.0 km²) situated around Byrd Lake, a man-made lake created by the impoundment of Byrd Creek in the 1930s. The park is set amidst an environmental microcosm of the Cumberland Plateau and provides numerous recreational activities, including an 18-hole Bear Trace golf course.

Lake Harriet is a lake in southwest Minneapolis, south of Bde Maka Ska and north of Minnehaha Creek. The lake is surrounded by parkland as part of Minneapolis’ Chain of Lakes. The lake has an area of 335 acres (1.36 km²) and a maximum depth of 85 feet (26 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rennerdale, Pennsylvania</span> Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States

Rennerdale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Collier Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, about 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,103.

Harlan Hubbard was an American artist and writer, known for his simple lifestyle.

The Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks are a group of 20 metropolitan parks in and around Columbus, Ohio. They are officially organized into the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District. The Metro Parks system was organized in 1945 under Ohio Revised Code Section 1545 as a separate political division of the state of Ohio. The Metro Parks are overseen by a Board of Park Commissioners consisting of three citizens appointed to three-year terms without compensation by the Judge of the Probate Court of Franklin County, Ohio. The Board in turn appoints an Executive Director responsible for operations and management of the parks.

The Defense of Cincinnati occurred during what is now referred to as the Confederate Heartland Offensive or Kentucky Campaign of the American Civil War, from September 1 through September 13, 1862. Confederate Brigadier General Henry Heth was sent north from Lexington, Kentucky, to threaten Cincinnati, Ohio, then the sixth-largest city in the United States. Heth was under orders from his superior, Major General Edmund Kirby Smith, not to attack the city, but to instead make a "demonstration". Once Heth arrived and reconnoitered the defenses, he realized an attack was pointless. After a few minor skirmishes, he took his men back to Lexington.

Covington Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic, high school for boys in Park Hills, Kentucky, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Bishop Francis William Howard and Brother George Sauer, and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington. The school is the only boys' high school in northern Kentucky and one of five in the Cincinnati area. The girls' Notre Dame Academy is located across the street.

The Dinsmore Homestead is a historic house museum. The property contains a house completed in 1842 and several outbuildings. It is located at 5656 Burlington Pike, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) west of Burlington, Kentucky.

Eden Park is an urban park located in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The hilltop park occupies 186 acres (0.75 km²), and offers numerous overlooks of the Ohio River valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland Homesteads</span> United States historic place

Cumberland Homesteads is a community located in Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States. Established by the New Deal-era Division of Subsistence Homesteads in 1934, the community was envisioned by federal planners as a model of cooperative living for the region's distressed farmers, coal miners, and factory workers. While the cooperative experiment failed and the federal government withdrew from the project in the 1940s, the Homesteads community nevertheless survived. In 1988, several hundred of the community's original houses and other buildings, which are characterized by the native "crab orchard" sandstone used in their construction, were added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district.

Mt. Echo Park is an 84-acre (34 ha) urban park in the Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Located on a hilltop, the park offers scenic overlooks of Downtown Cincinnati, the Ohio River, and Northern Kentucky.

Sleepy Hollow Country Club is a historic country club in Scarborough-on-Hudson in Briarcliff Manor, New York. The club was founded in 1911, and its clubhouse was known as Woodlea, a 140-room Vanderbilt mansion owned by Colonel Elliott Fitch Shepard and his wife Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard. It was built in 1892–95 at a cost of $2 million and was designed by the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White; the estate became a contributing property to the Scarborough Historic District in 1984.

References

↑ Day, Teresa (January 30, 2005). Fun With the Family Kentucky: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids. Globe Pequot. p. 59. ISBN 9780762734900 . Retrieved 2013-05-07.
↑ Smith, Steve; et al. (2007). "Arts & Attractions". Cincinnati USA City Guide. Cincinnati Magazine. p. 18. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
↑ "2016 Pan American Championships: Katie Compton cruises to title". Cyclocross Magazine. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2022.

39°04′44″N84°32′31″W / 39.079°N 84.542°W / 39.079; -84.542

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Day, Teresa (January 30, 2005). Fun With the Family Kentucky: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids. Globe Pequot. p. 59. ISBN 9780762734900 . Retrieved 2013-05-07.

[2] Smith, Steve; et al. (2007). "Arts & Attractions". Cincinnati USA City Guide. Cincinnati Magazine. p. 18. Retrieved 2013-05-06.

[3] "2016 Pan American Championships: Katie Compton cruises to title". Cyclocross Magazine. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]