Reverchon Park

Reverchon Park is a public park in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas, Texas. It was named for the French botanist Julien Reverchon.

The park lies along Turtle Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River. Its main entrance is at Maple Avenue and Turtle Creek Boulevard.

History

Built in 1915, Reverchon Park is one of the oldest parks in the city. First named Turtle Creek Park, it was renamed Reverchon Park after Julien Reverchon (1837–1905), a botanist and a member of the La Reunion Utopian Community.{{Cite web |url=http://www.reverchonparkfriends.com/Park.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110075521/http://www.reverchonparkfriends.com/Park.aspx |url-status=usurped |archive-date=November 10, 2011 |title=The Park |website=Friends of Reverchon Park |access-date=June 24, 2019}}

In the 80s and 90s, the park was notoriously crime-ridden, but a rejuvenation project beginning in 1998 helped turn Reverchon into one of Dallas' most successful parks, according to The Dallas Morning News.{{Cite news |first=Avi |last=Selk |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2010/04/14/20100413-Reverchon-is-one-of-Dallas-3734 |title=Reverchon is one of Dallas' most successful parks, but it wasn't always so |date=April 14, 2010 |work=The Dallas Morning News |access-date=November 8, 2018 |language=en}}

The Southern Methodist University baseball team played at the ballpark from 1977 to 1980,{{cite web |title=Southwest League Announces Dallas Team |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/07/02/southwest-league-announces-dallas-team/ |website=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |access-date=July 3, 2018 |date=July 2, 2018 |quote=...it served as home stadium for the SMU baseball program from 1977-1980.}}{{cite news |last1=Lamster |first1=Mark |title=Dallas' Reverchon Park restored to 1930s grandeur |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/arts/architecture/2013/10/07/dallas-reverchon-park-restored-to-1930s-grandeur |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=The Dallas Morning News |date=October 7, 2013 |language=en |quote=...the park's baseball field, which has in the past hosted the SMU baseball team...}}{{cite news |last1=Tramel |first1=Berry |title=Dallas travelblog: The lights of Reverchon Park |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5352196/dallas-travelblog-the-lights-of-reverchon-park |access-date=June 25, 2019 |work=The Oklahoman |date=October 10, 2014 |quote=SMU played there during its temporary foray into baseball, 1977-80.}} before the baseball program disbanded after the 1980 season.{{cite news |last1=Sherrington |first1=Kevin |title=Sherrington: SMU's long-gone baseball team rarely got respect, least of all from its own school |url=https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesports/2016/06/04/sherrington-smus-long-gone-baseball-team-rarely-got-respect-least-school |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |department=SportsDay |access-date=September 11, 2018 |language=en |date=June 4, 2016 |quote=And officials pulled the plug on it after the 1980 season, just the same, citing financial concerns.}}{{cite news |last1=Capstick |first1=Brian |title=The NightCap asks, 'Why no baseball at SMU?' |url=https://www.smudailycampus.com/news/the-nightcap-asks-why-no-baseball-at-smu |access-date=September 11, 2018 |work=SMU Daily Campus |date=February 9, 2006 |language=en |quote=The SMU Athletic Department told me that the baseball program was shut down for financial reasons.}}

Features

Reverchon Park is {{convert|46|acre|km2|2}} in area, and offers around 40 leisure and recreational program for citizens, including health screenings, tutoring, athletic leagues, yoga, volleyball, and after-school programs. The park also is home to baseball fields, basketball courts, and tennis courts.{{cite web |website=Friends of Reverchon Park |url=http://www.reverchonparkfriends.com/about_park.html |title=About the park |access-date=October 14, 2006 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514184235/http://www.reverchonparkfriends.com/about_park.html |archive-date=May 14, 2008}}

A playground in the park, accessible to children of all abilities, was designed by the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and the City of Dallas.

A section of the Katy Trail, a recreational rail trail, runs adjacent to the park. It connects to parks of the Trinity River Project.

=Ballpark=

Reverchon Park includes a 3,500-capacity 1920s-era ballpark used for high-school and amateur baseball teams.{{cite news |last1=Spedden |first1=Zach |title=Reverchon Park Proposal Moves Forward |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/01/09/reverchon-park-proposal-moves-forward/ |access-date=January 17, 2020 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |date=January 9, 2020}} It was the home field for Southern Methodist University baseball from 1977 to 1980.

In July 2018, plans were announced for a new multi-purpose stadium in the park to host a Dallas franchise in the independent Southwest League of Professional Baseball, as well as local high school playoff games, amateur baseball leagues, and the Mexican Baseball League. With the Southwest League never playing a game, in January 2020 the Dallas City Council approved a renovation proposal from a group led by Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson who was also an owner of the Texas AirHogs of the independent American Association. The $10 million plan included new seating, artificial turf, locker rooms, dugouts, and concessions and restrooms facilities, all to accommodate professional and amateur baseball, soccer, lacrosse, concerts and rugby. In October 2020, the plan was reported to be dead when the group led by Nelson failed to submit documentation before a September 30 deadline.{{cite news |last1=Reichard |first1=Kevin |title=Reverchon Park renovation plan scrapped |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/10/02/reverchon-park-renovation-plan-scrapped/ |access-date=October 2, 2020 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |date=October 2, 2020}}

References

=Sources=

"Southwest Conference's Greatest Hits," Neal Farmer, c.1996

External links

{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20190910021314/http://www.reverchonparkfriends.com:80/ Friends of Reverchon Park]}}
{{cite news |last1=Sherrington |first1=Kevin |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/ksherrington/stories/101506dnsposherrington.30e190d.html |work=The Dallas Morning News |title=A park for the ages |date=October 14, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061124165252/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/ksherrington/stories/101506dnsposherrington.30e190d.html |archive-date=November 24, 2006}}

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Category:Parks in Dallas

Category:Baseball venues in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex

Category:SMU Mustangs baseball venues

Category:1915 establishments in Texas