Brock Hayden, left, and Nicholas Cellner of with Gregory Poole Equipment Company in Hope Mills work on the Memorial Park site Friday in downtoown Lumberton.
David Kennard | The Robesonian
LUMBERTON — A small development on the north side of the traffic circle in downtown Lumberton is slowly transforming into a yet-to-be-named “memorial park.” The multi-phase project has seen lot leveling and the installation of cement walking paths and a small parking area for visitors to view a collection of monuments honoring Robeson County residents and significant historical events.
Specific monuments have not yet been formally identified, but some informal discussion has suggested that the park may be the final resting place of the Confederate Soldier statue now standing in front of the Robeson County Courthouse.
“There are a few monuments in the area behind the Robeson Public Library,” said Wayne Horne, Lumberton’s city manager.
Horne said he expects a “Memorial Park committee” will be established in coming weeks that will be tasked with fitting out the park with appropriate landscaping and actual monuments.
The effort is actually a reboot. City officials first began planning the memorial park in 2016, but like so many other things, it had to wait because of Hurricane Matthew and the recovery from that storm that is ongoing.
Horne said the city has researched what other nearby cities have done with similar parks, which has helped provide some ideas.
The budget for the site renovation work, sidewalks and utility improvement work was $75,000 early on, Horne said. But he said that could increase now that time has passed and actual work is underway.
“The next phase you’ll see is the installation of flag poles,” Horne said. “They will be backed by a wall as part of the park.”
The committee will also work to raise funds for the various monuments and/or accompanying signage throughout the park.
The project is a joint effort with Robeson County. A completion date or projected opening has not yet been set.
David Kennard is the executive editor of the Robesonian. Reach him by email at [email protected].
