Reservoir Park is 128 years old. Built in 1898, it’s the oldest and one of the largest parks in Lancaster City. But anyone visiting the park last year would never guess that it was one of Lancaster’s most prominent parks

From May 27 through May 31, Friends of Reservoir Park will present an art exhibition featuring local Black artists in the park’s pavilion. The theme is Art as Liberation. It’s the kind of thing that would have felt impossible just a year ago in the historic park.

A Forgotten Green Space

People who know the city will understand that Reservoir Park was something of a forgotten green space. Residents knew it was there, but most stayed away. Rumors of crime and illicit activities around the pavilion made families uncomfortable. The park had an unfortunate reputation.

Meg Martin noticed all of this when she moved to East Chestnut Street about two years ago. She started spending time in the park, reading and sewing on the benches, and she could see right away that the space had potential that wasn’t being realized.

“I had a vision for what the park could be,” Martin said.

So Martin started doing the work herself. She showed up regularly. She sat in the park. She talked to everyone she met, from neighbors passing through to folks hanging around the pavilion. She picked up trash. She became a fixture in the park. Next, she started building relationships with city officials and police to address the safety concerns that had kept the community at a distance.

Reviving Friends of Reservoir Park

As the summer went on, Martin realized she couldn’t maintain the effort alone. She started digging into the park’s history and discovered that a dormant group called Friends of Reservoir Park had once cared for it. Martin tracked down the former chair and asked for her blessing to revive the organization. She got it.

On October 7, Friends of Reservoir Park held its first community meeting. About 30 people showed up. A core group of eight has stayed consistent, with a broader membership contributing to cleanups and event planning.

The revived group is organized around four pillars: a clean, safe park for all; activated community spaces; arts and culture celebrations; and ongoing development and improvement of the park itself.

By the end of October, the group had already pulled off its first event: an open mic night in the pavilion.

A New Partnership

With momentum building, Martin and her group turned their attention to their third pillar: arts and culture. They had the energy and the ideas, but they wanted a partner who could help draw a crowd and bring real cultural weight to the event.

That’s when Martin reached out to Derek Smith, who leads the African-American Cultural Alliance of Lancaster. The AACA already holds its annual festival at the end of May, and the timing was a natural fit. Both groups recognized the park’s potential and spent the winter planning an event together.

Derek Smith, President of the AACA, said: “We’re excited to partner with Friends of Reservoir Park for the Art as Liberation event at Reservoir Park, as well as for the African American Cultural Fair, because it gives us an opportunity to truly activate the entire park.

The African American Cultural Fair will feature a 5-day carnival experience, bringing rides, games, and classic fair food alongside live entertainment, cultural performances, local vendors, and family-friendly activities.”

As part of the fair, Friends of Reservoir Park and the ACAA are collaborating on an art exhibit open to local Black artists. Martin said they’ve started receiving submissions but are looking for more.

Signs of Life

When you walk through Reservoir Park, the changes are evident.  The city has invested in maintenance and improvements. The playground is getting work done. New tables have been installed at the pavilion. New LED lights are on around the clock. People are stopping Martin in the park to tell her the space feels different.

“It’s taking its rightful place in the city as a meaningful green space for people to gather,” Martin said.

For Martin, the art exhibition carries extra personal significance. The event falls almost exactly one year from the day she started her effort to reclaim the park for the community. But she’s quick to redirect the focus away from herself.

“I’m not the story,” she said. “The park and the festival and the art show are the story.”

That may be. But any renewal project needs someone willing to show up first.

The fine art exhibition runs May 27-31 at the Reservoir Park pavilion, with a Meet the Artists event on May 28. Artists interested in submitting work can find more information by emailing Friends of Reservoir Park at FOResParkLanc@gmail.com.

To learn about upcoming events and follow the park’s continued growth, follow the Friends of Reservoir Park Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfReservoirPark/