James Hite Park, Kearneysville, WV
Photo courtesy of Cunningham Recreation
What was Funded
Funds awarded by the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) aided Jefferson County Parks and Recreation with the purchase of an all-inclusive playground system at the 119-acre park near Leetown. The system includes tandem swings, ADA-accessible freestanding pieces, which help spread play activities throughout the area, outdoor musical elements with a fun, intergenerational appeal, and lots of progressive climbing challenges including the popular River Rock climber, and upper body trainer, which is a great tool to teach younger children the skill of brachiating (AKA traversing monkey bars). The play space has swings with an accessible seat, a freestanding spinning seat, a Discovery Cave and a merry go round which is transfer-friendly for people using mobility devices and appeals to all ages, from young to told. Engineered wood fiber is the safety surfacing used for this project.
(Previous grants have also helped add pavilions to the park, as well as playgrounds and campsite renovation to nearby parks.) The play area continues the parks ongoing efforts to create multigenerational spaces that are fun for all ages and abilities, and encourage family togetherness.
About the Match
Funds from LWCF were matched by grants from the Levitt Foundation as well as the Charles Town Kiwanis and Joanna S. Luciano Parker, DDC, PLLC.
Local Quote
“I am excited that we were able to add this new playground to James Hite Park, especially as it increases the accessibility and inclusivity of our parks,” said Ann Mountz, vice president of the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Commission.
