Schiller Park, Columbus, Ohio

For other places with the same name, see Schiller Park.

Schiller Park
Friedrich von Schiller Park
250px An entrance to Schiller Park at the intersection of City Park Avenue and East Deshler Avenue
Type	Public
Location	1069 Jaeger Street German Village Columbus, Ohio, United States Bounded by: Reinhard Avenue Jaeger Street East Deshler Avenue City Park Avenue
Coordinates
Area	23.45 acres (9.49 ha)
Established	1867 (1867)
Operated by	City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
Website	Schiller Park

File:Schiller Statue.JPG

The bronze statue of Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, the namesake of Schiller Park

Schiller Park is a 23.45-acre (9.49 ha) municipal park located in German Village, an historic neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. The park is bounded by Reinhard Avenue to the north, Jaeger Street to the east, East Deshler Avenue to the south, and City Park Avenue to the west.

During the nineteenth century, the land was originally owned by Frances Stewart and was known as "Stewart's Grove." It had been the area's center for festivals and neighborhood activities since the 1800s, including the Independence Day celebration of 1830 and Ohio State Fairs of 1864 and 1865. By 1866, David W. Deshler, his son William G. Deshler, and Allen G. Thurman purchased the property with the aim of having it permanently serve the public. Shortly afterwards, the City of Columbus purchased the park in April 1867 for $15,000 from the Deshlers and Thurman. Upon purchase, the park was renamed "The City Park" and is ranked as the second oldest park in the city following Goodale Park.

Between the middle and end of the nineteenth century, the area surrounding "City Park" became increasingly populated by German immigrants. On July 4, 1891 during a Fourth of July celebration, a statue of Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759–1805) was dedicated to the park by the German-born residents. Friedrich von Schiller was a famous German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. The statue in German Village is a second casting of the original statue in Munich, Germany. The original statue was designed and executed by Max von Widnmann and unveiled in Munich on May 9, 1863, an anniversary of Friedrich von Schiller's death. The Columbus City Council passed Ordinance No. 22,233 on April 3, 1905 to rename "The City Park" to "Schiller Park" as a namesake.

The park, once a community meeting ground for the German settlement, is now the site of recreational facilities, gardens, and an amphitheater. Free live performances of Shakespearean plays are enacted during the summer months courtesy of Actors' Theatre of Columbus. Along the main entrance of the park, facing City Park Avenue, visitors are greeted by the Huntington Gardens that are sponsored by Huntington National Bank and maintained by volunteers. The park is also home to the Umbrella Girl Fountain, dedicated to the citizens of German Village in October 1996 to replace Hebe, the missing original sculpture.

Further reading and viewing

Videos, images, and websites

• The 107th historical marker to be erected in Franklin County, the 25th county in Ohio
• The 92nd historical marker to be erected in Franklin County, the 25th county in Ohio

External links

• City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
• German Village Society and Friends of Schiller Park at Facebook, a committee of German Village Society
• The Actors' Theatre of Columbus
• Sky View of Schiller Park Video published July 4, 2014 on YouTube; 42 seconds.