| Smith Park is the only ''public square" remaining from the original checkerboard plan drawn by Peter A. VanDorn in 1822. It occupies the block that was numbered as Block 12N. For many years following the founding of Jackson, this block remained little more than a grazing area for the livestock that wandered freely throughout the city, until a fence was erected in 1884 to protect the space and give it a more park-like appearance. James Smith, a Scottish industrialist who had operated furniture and hardware stores in Jackson from 1834 until 1850, donated $2,000 for the fence, and his name has been associated with the park ever since. The W.J. Davis Monument was added in 1918. The Rob Morris Monument was installed in 1934. A Rustic Style pavilion (similar to several structures at Livingston Park and to the pavilion at Poindexter Park) was also built in the 1930s. In the early 1970s substantial modifications were made to the park, including the addition of a small amphitheater and an artificial stream. Smith Park continues to serve as a public park. Smith Park is located in the center of the Smith Park Architectural District, which was placed on the National Register on 23 March 1976. It was designated a Mississippi Landmark on 21 April 2017. The park is included in "Jackson Landmarks" (1982) (pp. 37-38). |