Hermitage Park

Hermitage Park playground is a fun place for a family outing. It is located in a quiet residential area. South of Three Caves and Mountain Springs Pool, and west of woodland owned by the Land Trust of North Alabama.  The Park has a playground equipped with swings, several slides and a challenging monkey bar set with several extra features. Nearby are bench seats which makes  keeping an eye on the kids easy. And a covered shed with tables for a picnic or for just sitting. Truly a location for harmony to flourish in the neighborhood.

History

Hermitage Park also holds an important place in the history of our neighborhood. It is located on Kennamer Road at the intersection with Hermitage Avenue. The Park has both a namesake family legacy and a County/City humanitarian legacy. The Kennamer family once lived around the curve overlooking their family farm area to the south. They assisted in the development of Mountainbrook subdivision. They provided three street names – Willis, Colice and daughter Wilma. The Madison County Alms House was located nearby on the curve, at the top of Hermitage Avenue. It was relocated in the County as Mountainbrook subdivision came along. Hermitage Park is owned by the Land Trust, and maintained by the City of Huntsville through a special agreement.

Improvements

A nearby Park resident, who enjoyed the Park with his children, wanted to see some improvements. Michael wanted better equipment and landscaping. As a member of the BVCA board, Michael mentioned his interests to its members. We liked them! Michael agreed to lead the newly-formed Parks Committee for BVCA. He began by talking with the City Parks & Recreation Department and the Land Trust.

One improvement was to re-purpose the out-of-date tennis court. So, some fencing, the tennis net and it’s posts were removed. Its now used by kids for field sports. Also, he organized several public events at the Park, including one with a City official in attendance.