Schiller Park is a municipal park located in

German Village German Village is a historic neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, just south of the city's downtown. It was settled in the early-to-mid-19th century by a large number of German immigrants, who at one time comprised as much as a third of the city's ...

, a historic neighborhood in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. 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.

Description and history

During the nineteenth century, the land was originally owned by Francis 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 Fair The Ohio State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the United States, held in Columbus, Ohio during late July through early August. As estimated in a 2011 economic impact study conducted by Saperstein & Associates; the State Fair contributes ...

s of 1864 and 1865. By 1866, David W. Deshler, his son William G. Deshler, and

Allen G. Thurman Allen Granberry Thurman (November 13, 1813 – December 12, 1895), sometimes erroneously spelled Allan Granberry Thurman, was a United States Democratic Party, Democratic United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative, Supre ...

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 Goodale Park is a public park in the Victorian Village area of Columbus, Ohio. It was donated to the city in 1851 by Lincoln Goodale. For a few months during the American Civil War, Civil War, it was a staging area for Union troops known as Camp ...

. Between the middle and end of the nineteenth century, the area surrounding "City Park" became increasingly populated by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

immigrants. On July 4, 1891 during a Fourth of July celebration, a

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

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 Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...

of the original statue in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The original statue was designed and executed by

Max von Widnmann Max von Widnmann (ennobled as Maximilian Ritter von Widnmann; 16 October 1812 – 3 March 1895)Th-B, "Widnmann, Max von, sculptor", ''Dictionary of German Biography'', ed. Walther Killy and Rudolf Vierhaus, with Dietrich von Engelhardt ''et al'' ...

and unveiled in Munich on May 9, 1863, an anniversary of Friedrich von Schiller's death. The

Columbus City Council The Columbus City Council is the lawmaking body of Columbus, Ohio. It has 7 members who are elected at-large. It meets in the City Council Chambers located on the second floor of Columbus City Hall. Starting in the 2023 election, City Council w ...

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 William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

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 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is an American bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The company is ranked 521st on the Fortune 500, and is 26th on the list of largest banks in the United States. The company's banking s ...

and maintained by volunteers. The park is also home to '' Umbrella Girl'', dedicated to the citizens of German Village in October 1996 to replace Hebe, the missing original sculpture.

Gallery

File:Schiller Park JJ 01.jpg, The park and its shelterhouse beside German Village and Downtown Columbus File:Columbus, Ohio Ɱ 92.jpg, Statue of Friedrich Schiller File:Columbus, Ohio Ɱ 97.jpg, '' Umbrella Girl'' statue and fountain File:Columbus, OH - Schiller Park.jpg, Winding pathway amid park space

References

External links

Schiller Park
by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
Schiller Park
by the German Village Society {{Columbus Recreation and Parks 1867 establishments in Ohio German Village Parks in Columbus, Ohio Historic district contributing properties in Columbus, Ohio

Description and history

Gallery

See also

References

External links