Ferry Tales File
For obvious reasons, the 1-acre, three-sided slice of land was called Triangle Park. It was green space left over when the Apache Curve was created in the 1930s to seamlessly link Highways 60, 70, 80 and 89 to Mill Avenue.
Today, we know the sliver as Birchett Park. Forty-two years ago the modest space became a battle zone in Tempe.
Last week’s column (read story here) reported that in 1970 the Tempe Chamber of Commerce proposed for the little park a chamber and community campus designed by Michael Kemper Goodwin. The project was shelved. And I wondered why.
Community leaders who were around at the time have only vague recollections of the proposal. That’s why I put out a call to readers for help.
Jared Smith, Tempe History Museum’s curator of history, came up with some revealing information.
A newsletter article titled “Advancing Gardening for 75 Years — The Tempe Garden Club, 1936-2011″ provides a number of answers.
According to the club’s account, in 1964 as Grady Gammage Auditorium was nearing completion, the city asked the Tempe Garden Club to landscape the space in order to help frame the building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Shortly after, the club began improving the site by planting “250 rose bushes, 90 pyracantha, cassia, Texas sage and a Magnolia tree.” In 1969, a $50 grant from Atlantic-Richfield allowed the club to plant three Aleppo pines.
According to the account, “The members of the club became passionate about preserving this piece of land as a park.” That’s why, in 1970, “when word went out that the city was considering turning the area into an office (Tempe Chamber) building, the garden club sprang into action and circulated a petition obtaining 800 signatures protesting the idea.”
“The idea of an office building,” the account said, “went no further.”
The designers attempted to assuage the objections of the gardeners: “A large meeting room occupies the main level, anticipating the needs of the Garden Club and other groups.” Their description of the landscaping gave a nod to the efforts of the group: “Leading away from (the) plazas are rose gardens with each planter assigned a garden club.”
All to no avail. The project was scrapped.
A year later, the club was instrumental in persuading the city to officially designate the land as Birchett Park in recognition of the pioneer Joseph Birchett family. Actually, according to the report, Guess Birchett, Joeseph’s widow, suggested the name and “was surprised” when the town dedicated Birchett Park in April 1971 — the same year she was named Tempe’s Centennial Queen for the city’s 100th birthday.
Known as the Bird Lady of Tempe for her interest in ornithology, Birchett (1881-1979) was also a longtime member of the Tempe Garden Club.
A few more pieces of an intriguing puzzle are put in place.
Jay Mark assists the Tempe History Museum with exhibit gallery design. Reach him at jaymark@twtdbooks.com.
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