To attract passengers to the countryside, the Rhodes residence was converted into a trolley terminus, complete with wrap-around porch and belfry, and an elaborate turn-of-the-century amusement park was built on the grounds, complete with carousel, roller coaster, fun house, dance hall, penny arcade, and golf course, as well as bath house, swimming area, and boat lake in the former quarry pond. The park remained a popular Richmond attraction until it closed in 1932, due to the economic constraints of the Great Depression.

In the late 1700s, this 105-acre parcel was part of William Byrd III's vast holdings along the James River. In 1836 Holden Rhodes (1799-1857), noted jurist and first president of Richmond and Petersburg Railroad, purchased land here for his estate, Boscobel. His stone dwelling was built of granite quarried on site. In 1880, Richmond & Manchester Railway established a trolley terminus and amusement part here, with a penny arcade in the Stone House basement. These improvements spurred the development of Woodland Heights and Forest Hill, two early Richmond "trolley car suburbs." The amusements were demolished in 1932, and in 1934 the City of Richmond purchased the land. Funds from the federal Emergency Relief Act paid for Stone House improvements, cobblestone walkways, and picnic shelters. Azaleas planted here in the 1950s became root stock for Bryan Park's extensive Azalea Gardens. Today, the park's natural areas, wetlands, wildlife habitats, and manicured landscapes provide open-space amenities in an urban setting.

Forest Hill Park in the City of Richmond, Virginia, is a 105-acre landscaped urban park that since 1934 has been a part to the city's park system, a system begun in 1851. The park exhibits a variety of wild natural areas and wetlands in addition to manicured landscapes dotted with large trees. Holden Rhodes (1799-1857), a prominent and wealthy citizen, farmer, lawyer and successful businessman owed the property from 1836 until 1857. Between 1836 and 1843 he built the Greek Revival-style stone house that stands in the park. In 1889 the Southside Land & Improvement Company bought the property, renamed it Forest Hill Park and began to sell off land east and north of the park in Woodland Heights, a suburb newly connected to the city via an electric streetcar route. Forest Hill Park was one of the assets, in addition to the trolley, cited to promote this early streetcar suburb. For many years, the property served as an amusement park at the terminus of the trolley line. The City of Richmond acquired the park in 1934. Today, Forest Hill Park is surrounded by the neighborhoods of Woodland Heights, Forest Hill and Westover Hills. Rhodes' Stone House serves as a focal point for community activities....

CREDITS: EXCERPTS: Richmond Library