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The city of Petersburg, which owns the park despite its location in Dinwiddie County, provided trucks and other equipment for the renovation project. City Manager B. David Canada stopped by Monday afternoon to thank the volunteers for their help. "This is really a fantastic effort," he said. "We really appreciate it. This is work we would probably otherwise not be able to do." The city and nonprofit groups such as FOLAR have been working on creating an Appomattox River Trail that would run from Lake Chesdin to Hopewell and is seen as a potential lure for tourists. Appomattox Riverside Park occupies a key stretch of the planned 22.8-mile trail. In addition to its outdoor recreation potential, the park offers connections with the region's industrial and social history. The park's pond is part of the Upper Appomattox Canal, dug between 1795 and 1807 to bypass the falls of the Appomattox River, according to the American Canal Society. The 5-mile waterway was part of a system called the Upper Appomattox Navigation that enabled canal boats, known as batteaux, to carry cargo to Petersburg from as far west as the now-deserted town of Planterstown, west of Farmville.

That history draws crowds to the park every October, when Chesterfield and Dinwiddie counties join with Petersburg to hold Batteau Day there.

In the early part of the 20th century, Ferndale Park opened next to the canal. The amusement park featured a carousel, bowling alley, ice cream parlor and movie theater. Petersburg residents rode from the city to the park by trolley, while mill workers from Matoaca reached the park by taking a ferry across the river.

Williams said one reason he and his fellow workers wanted to help with the park's repairs is because it continues to draw residents for picnicking, fishing, hiking and even wedding receptions.

"It's a park the community comes to," he said. "If it's a nice park, people will want to take care of it and keep it nice."

CREDITS: EXCERPTS: Petersburg Library