Beatty Park to host evening of music
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STEUBENVILLE -- Historic Beatty Park, located at 621 Lincoln Avenue, will come alive Sept. 13.
An evening of music will begin at 6 p.m. with a performance by the Friends Community Choir, followed at 6:45 p.m. by the Sycamore Classical Choir. The presentation will be in the park’s recently refurbished shelter house, and organizers said a surprise guest will appear at the end.
Just when you may have thought the 250th tributes to our country were over -- the Friends of Beatty Park, a nonprofit volunteer group is continuing the celebration with a lovely choir program that offers heart-felt tributes to our country and its rich history.
“Bring a jacket or blanket because when the sun sets in the park, it gets chilly,” said organizer Flora VerStraten-Merrin.
The Friends Community Choir is directed by Dani Carroll and the assistant director is Lindsay Clifton. They refer to their choir as a musical ministry, and it has been active throughout the Tri-State Area for more than 30 years. Members of the group are from Jefferson, Harrison, Columbiana and Hancock counties. They perform at churches, nursing homes, festivals and various other venues, and meet weekly at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays to rehearse at the Wintersville Methodist Church.
The Sycamore Classical Youth Choir is among the programs offered at the Sycamore Youth Center, located at the corner of North Fourth and North streets. It has been performing in the Ohio Valley for more than six years under the direction of Zac Gordon, Janiel Gordon and Grace McKeegan.
“The choir has grown to be experienced in classical and folk styles,” said Gordon.
Arrival for the concert begins at 5 p.m. with free trolley rides from Finley Church (located on 598 Lincoln Ave.), along Lincoln Avenue and throughout the park in lots below the last shelter house venue location. Parking will be allowed at any of those locations and the trolley will pick up visitors and drop them off at the last shelter house, where the concert will take place.
The trolley will be running all evening and fits 26 to 30 people per ride. It will return attendees to their cars and will continue to loop the area throughout the evening and following the concert.
“Everyone will get a ride back to their cars and the park shelter will be lit while we wait, ” VerStraten-Merrin said.
The combination of the trolley and driver is a collaboration among VerStraten-Merrin, chair of the Friends of Beatty Park, and Mark and Gretchen Nelson. The Nelsons purchased the trolley a few months ago and have offered it as a fun, nostalgic mode of travel to get attendees to the park, since parking spaces are limited.
Attendees are invited to come early. They can be dropped off at the last shelter house where the concert will be held up until 5:45 p.m. when the road will be closed to the shelter and only the trolley or walkers will be able to access the shelter.
“We will be serving up some hot dogs, snacks and cold drinks for a small donation. So we invite people to come early and get set up,” VerStraten-Merrin said.
Those attending are invited to bring lawn chairs or a blanket, but there are several picnic tables set inside the shelter house that will be available on a first-come basis.
Cool breezes and a beautiful nature setting offer a perfect setting for the concert, organizers said. People of all ages will enjoy it.
The 99-acre Beatty Park has a rich history.
The shelter house built by the Works Project Administration in 1936 is the concert venue.
The South End reunions, family reunions, events by fraternal and other organizations and numerous concerts and events were held in the shelter.
“This was a fun state of the art meeting location back in 1936. The shelter had restrooms and a kitchen and ample parking for the few who drove their autos to the park back in the early days. Most continued to walk from the various paths and roads from all directions of town into Historic Beatty Park,” VerStraten-Merrin explained.
The shelter suffered significant damage in a fire several years ago.
“We needed the shelter house to stop being referred to as the burned shelter, so as soon as the city restored the beautiful roof we see today we cleaned up the inside and added tables -- and more are coming in 1927. We wanted to leave that old term and memory behind. Now we call it the WPA shelter house and if someone doesn’t know what that term means, it gives us a chance to explain some of the history of the park.”
The streetcar and trolley route that was established in 1888 in Steubenville continued to run until late 1939, when the lines operated by the Steubenville, East Liverpool and Beaver Valley Traction Co. were abandoned as the community transitioned to buses by 1938.
The Friends of Beatty Park is part of a nonprofit group that volunteers time and seeks funding for the revitalization of the park.
The organization has nearly 6,000 members on its Facebook page.
Members plan and host several annual events including spring hikes, Easter egg hunts, stream stomps, concerts, trick-or-treating and the big one -- the annual Christmas in the Park. All of the events are staffed and funded by volunteers and donations.
“We love our city and childhood park. We love seeing the public in the park laughing and enjoying all of its natural amenities. There are no gimmicks in getting visitors to the park. There are no zip lines and no big, fancy plastic playgrounds or games. The beauty of the stream, the flowers, the leaves and trees and their noted changes; the historic stone bridges; staircases; and the old stone lodge draw in people who know the important part that nature plays in physical, mental and spiritual health. People who care and respect nature and want to have such a place to bring their children well into the future will continue to support this natural playground,” VerStraten-Merrin said.
Members of the Beatty Park friends have been active in the park and have achieved funding for major restoration projects throughout the park. They also have and continue to work with the park and city officials to improve the facility. Efforts have been made for stream restoration, repairs to one bridge and major restoration to another bridge, and most recent was the restoration of the WPA shelter house roof.
This volunteer group has been successful in obtaining funds to restore the 220-step staircase railing that links two trails that the group has created, with a total of four hiking trails now available to visitors. The old swimming pool area has been filled in and the bleachers repaired with a ramp built for easy accessibility, and the group has worked with the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County to create a green space for children to run and play to read the outdoor storybook.
The group monitors and maintains all four trails, which can be a labor-intensive job because of large fallen trees, water runoff and weeds and invasive growth. Members of the group also have installed educational and nature information signs up all through the park and trails.
Donations can be sent to: JCC OGS, 125 S. Fifth Street, Steubenville, Ohio, 43952. Donors are asked to write Beatty Park Project on the memo line. There is a website for nonprofit donations which can be found at jeffcochapter.com and donations can be made there, and need to include the memo Beatty Park Project.
There is a QR code sign in the park at the first bridge as well for donations.
Members said they thank the individuals and businesses who have donated, adding their efforts will continue.