An outdoor destination for residents and visitors alike, Wayside Park retains the charming features of its Depression-era past while building upon its future with new amenities added in 2020 and celebrated October 3, 2023, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Those new features include a handicap accessible playground, pickleball courts, picnic shelters, restrooms, performance space and an extensive system of paved, gravel and natural trails. Pittsylvania County Career and Technical Center students designed and built the LOVE sign that was installed in 2020.
This year the swinging bridge over Sycamore Creek, a feature original to the 50-acre park, has been fully restored and power is now available to the park’s amphitheater.
The pandemic had prevented a celebration of the improvements completed in 2020.
The park improvements were financed through generous contributions from the Danville Regional Foundation ($314,040), Virginia Outdoors Foundation ($106,460), J.T. Minnie Maude Charitable Trust ($100,000) and Pittsylvania County ($150,000). The LOVE sign was paid for in part by funding for the park renovation project, as well as a grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation LOVEworks Reimbursement Program.
The park was designed by landscape architect Trenda Leavitt of Beechgrove Design Landscape Architecture.
Wayside Park, originally the Pittsylvania Wayside, was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) under the direction of the National Park Service and Virginia Department of Highways as a rest stop and recreation area for travelers. It was one of seven waysides in Virginia built by the CCC, an organization formed under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal to provide jobs during the Great Depression.
Many of its original features, such as the swinging bridge, timber-framed picnic shelter, stacked stone walls and tall chimney grills, complement those added in 2020. The newly restored bridge adds the final touch to the overall park renovation project.
The original structures represent the design and craftsmanship championed by the National Park Service. The property was acquired by the Commonwealth in 1943, with the restriction that it be used exclusively as a public park. Pittsylvania County purchased the property in 1983 for $1 with the same covenants as the 1943 land transfer.
“The Board of Supervisors is pleased to celebrate the final completion of these improvements to Wayside Park. The park has certainly become a desired destination for our residents as well as visitors from all over the region and it is something we can all be proud of,” said Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Darrell Dalton.
Dalton continued, “The Board extends its deepest gratitude to our funding partners – the Danville Regional Foundation, J.T. Minnie Maude Charitable Trust and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation – whose contributions ensure that Wayside Park remains an attractive and vibrant place to enjoy the outdoors for generations to come. I also thank our County staff and the many contractors whose hard work and dedication helped bring this project to completion and make Wayside Park the gem that it is today.”
Wayside Park is in the Staunton River District, represented by Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Tim Dudley.
“I am thrilled to celebrate Wayside Park, as everyone I talk to is just raving about the improvements. It is truly satisfying to look around and see all the work that has been done here – from the handicap accessible playground and pickleball courts to the historic swinging bridge. These improvements would not have been possible without the funding assistance of the Danville Regional Foundation, J.T. Minnie Maude Charitable Trust and the Virginia Outdoor Foundation. We thank them for their generous and continued support here in the County. I encourage our residents to visit Wayside Park and take the time to enjoy all the new features and amenities, as well as pay tribute to the historical structures too – as all these combined is what makes this park special and unique, and we are fortunate that it belongs to Pittsylvania County,” said Dudley.
Dudley commended the prior Board of Supervisors, particularly former Staunton River Supervisor Elton Blackstock, for having the vision to begin the process of taking a park in decline and turning it into a full service outdoor recreational facility for people of all ages.
Pittsylvania County Administrator Stuart Turille Jr. reflected on the history of the park and the importance of public spaces.
“Wayside Park connects Pittsylvania County to the land and water, restoring the original connection begun by our forefathers three hundred years ago, here in this place,” said Turille.
Turille continued, “Parks are the most visible symbol of government providing quality of life not found in urban areas, which to our advantage, as our place to call home. Not everything in a free society should require a fee; some things are so important that they should be available freely to all.”
Dennis Irby is a former park caretaker whose family has a long-standing connection with Wayside Park. His grandmother played at the park as a child soon after it was built, and his mother listened to the traveling musicians who visited the park.
Today, “the park is laid out in a more user- friendly way,” said Irby.
Irby continued, “It is because of these renovations that the park is being used again in a positive way. She has always been a jewel in the rough, but today it is a place folks come from miles around to enjoy. Thanks to all who have been involved to make this gem of the northern end of Pittsylvania County shine.”
Wayside Park is located at 1678 Main Street in Hurt.