Craig Park

(Front) This park was built in 1933-35 by three New Deal-era programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first term. The land was donated by William D. Craig (1845-1935), once described as “one of Chesterfield’s busiest citizens.” Craig, a Confederate veteran, ran Craig’s Mill on Thompson Creek, owned a general store downtown, and founded the Chesterfield Light and Power Co. in 1910 to bring electric lights to Chesterfield.

He died just as the park was being completed. (Reverse) The land was cleared by the Civil Works Administration and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration built the “community hut,” a rustic log building finished in 1935. The Works Progress Administration completed the park. Notable plantings include dogwood (the town tree), mountain laurel, and azalea, and the park features a playground and an amphitheater.

The WPA Guide to the Palmetto State (1941) calls the park “a municipal playground for old and young.” Sponsored by the Town of Chesterfield, 2014