Sacred Places
Friends of Patterson Park Courtyard
A quiet garden set just outside a 137-acre park.
WHERE
Baltimore, MD
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Friends of Patterson Park
Visit
Where it is
27 South Patterson Park Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21231
What happens here
The garden is intended for community gathering and reflection, built so those uses can be worked into programming and everyday park usage. It is secured at times for safety but keeps regular open hours to the public, in accordance with Patterson Park's overall Visitor Experience Plan.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
The park is too busy to be quiet.
01
The Need
Patterson Park covers 137 acres within easy walking distance of more than ten neighborhoods, one of the most diverse geographic areas in Baltimore City, and serves all city residents as one of its largest green spaces. But a public park of that size carries recreation, sport, and relaxation at once, and not all of its spaces suit an intentional space for reflection and quiet.
02
The Vision
A space set slightly separate from the park as a whole would let reflection and quiet be built into programming and everyday use more easily. The courtyard at the new Friends of Patterson Park building would be that space, intended specifically for community gathering and reflection.
03
The Transformation
What went in is a naturalized garden outside the fenced courtyard, built to provide habitat, treat stormwater, and stay accessible to the public. Several rain gardens do the stormwater work. Two hydrangeas mark the portal where the path meets the main entrance to the headquarters. A brick path leads to the bench, whose position is deliberately double-edged: set apart from the main courtyard entrance for solitude and contemplation, yet visible from the street. A connecting stepping stone path, laid with stones salvaged from the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, invites visitors through the garden and around the building. Volunteers from RKK Engineering helped with the plantings.
WHO TENDS IT
Katie Long
Firesoul, Friends of Patterson Park Courtyard
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HEAR FROM THE VISITORS
From the Little Yellow Journal
The wood feels alive. I know it's technically not, but I feel the lifeforce of this universe coursing through it into me. I feel the power to create. More (and less) than that, I feel the power to just sit and be with it.
– Patrick
