Scotts Creek Park is located at the entrance to Shea Terrace. Architect and Urban Planner Ray Gindroz
recommended to the City of Portsmouth that the neighborhood should have strong centers and strong boundaries to keep our unique feel of non-tract homes of varying sizes and styles from ante-bellum, to painted lady Victorian, to Craftsman bungalow, to American four-square.
Mr. Gindroz recommended a linear park which would encompass one block of homes whose back sides faced London Blvd. due to some poor urban planning in the past. This block of homes had become dilapidated and were generally owned by absentee landlords. HUD grants were used to fund the City's purchase of the homes and relocation of the residents. The homes were demolished and the park you see above created in their place.
Funding for Scotts Creek Park also came from a government grant designed to promote parks for senior citizens. Shea Terrace had previously advocated against demolition of our vacant school built in 1920. Shea Terrace Elementary School is now registered on the National Registry of Historic Places, creating a "strong center: as recommended by Mr. Gindroz Sun Trust Bank bought and rehabilitated the school as elderly apartment housing. Grant monies were received due to the location of this housing in Shea Terrace.
Pictured above on a cloudy day, is the water feature area overlooking the emerald vegetation and waters of Scotts Creek. Also pictured are various plantings in the park and the sweeping linear vista from one end of the park to the other.,
