Ballard Family Park property now officially belongs to city

With custom-made pens made from a black walnut tree harvested from family property, Ballard family members (front to back) Marilynn B. Sturgeon, Sara J. Niles and Philip L. Ballard sign the trustee’s deed on land donated to the City of Greencastle in the name of their parents, Walter and Eleanor Ballard. Named the Walter and Eleanor Ballard Family Park, it will consist of 1.4 acres of wooded land along the south side of State Road 240, directly east of the eastern entrance to the Greencastle Walmart.

Courtesy photo

Let the fun ... and the work begin.

The Greencastle Park Department has another 1.4 acres to enjoy -- and mow -- thanks to the long-awaited completion of the property donation by the Ballard family.

“We actually started mowing it today,” Park Director Rod Weinschenk told the Greencastle Park Board during its May meeting Thursday night, as if that action officially validates that the property had indeed changed hands.

Earlier in the week Ballard family members Marilynn B. Sturgeon, Sara J. Niles and Philip L. Ballard, children of the late Walter and Eleanor Ballard, signed paperwork at City Hall to close the deal on a promise made at the September 2015 Park Board meeting.

The donated property -- a 1.4-acre tract of land adjacent to the portion of People Pathways that passes in front of the Greencastle Walmart store on the city’s East Side -- will become a city park, thanks to the Ballard family.

The parcel, immediately east of the easternmost entrance to the Walmart store and along the south side of State Road 240, comprises the site where the Ballard family homeplace had stood until it was moved south to property along Ballard Lane near the Putnam County Airport.

”I like to consider it the south end of a new entryway created to the city with Calbert Way,” Weinschenk suggested.

Marilynn Ballard Sturgeon and husband John appeared before the Park Board at its September 2015 meeting to discuss the land donation and ask that the site be named the Walter and Eleanor Ballard Family Park.

“We are excited as we envision a park for the use and enjoyment of our community and in the memory of our parents who contributed so much to the City of Greencastle and received even more in return,” a letter from the Ballard family noted.

Walter Ballard was a noted businessman and one-time mayor of Greencastle.

As part of the donation, the Ballards asked to retain a 30-foot easement at the west side of the property in order to access cropland off State Road 240.

They also asked to erect a plaque to honor the original owner of the property, Dr. Stevenson, noting a history of the land and its importance to the community.

Another request was that as many of the natural flowers as possible be retained. It was also suggested that a butterfly garden might be established within the new park, perhaps through help of the Master Gardener program.

“There are a lot of trees and flower beds we can nurture,” Park Director Weinschenk noted at the time.