The Piedmont Recreation Department's Walking on Wednesdays walking group continued to
visit Piedmont historical places of interest last Wednesday with a walk through Piedmont Park down to Palm Drive. Gail Lombardi of the Piedmont Historical Society had given the group historical information that helped everyone understand what they were seeing and enriched
their walk.
Gail communicated that after the Piedmont Springs Hotel burned down in 1892. Frank C. Havens
developed Piedmont Park in 1898. Piedmont Springs hotel was located at the current site of the Exedra. The main entrance to the park was at the current bus stop on Flighland Avenue, across from Wells Fargo bank, and the lower entrance to the park came up from Grand Avenue.
The path from Grand Avenue to Piedmont Park was lined with palm trees, and that path became Palm Drive. The path extended past the Maze, today's Witter Field, and to the paths in the park.
The walkers stopped and read the historical sign at the Wildwood entrance to the park which includes an image of the Maze.
They also stopped for a group photo and to enjoy the view of Witter Field from the new terrace and bench dedicated to Nancy Witter Hodgkinson, which overlooks the Piedmont High football field. The Walking on Wednesdays walkers suggested the bench could become Piedmont's version of Cal's Tightwad Hill.
Todav Palm Drive has the last remaining palms of that long ago path from Grand Avenue to Piedmont Park. After seeing all of the beautiful palms, the walkers circled back to the Exedra with a three-block walk up Magnolia Avenue.