During the city of Statesboro’s groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday to mark the start of renovations at Whitesville Park, the name of Carrie Howard kept coming up.
Howard spent 35 years as president of the Whitesville Resource and Development Organization prior to her passing in 2023, and many more as an advocate for her community. Improving the conditions at Whitesville Park and making the park a centerpiece of the community was a goal she worked constantly to make a reality.
In speaking about her mother’s dedication to Whitesville and her focus on the park, Caroll Hunter said Howard never wavered in her belief that park improvements would, one day, happen.
“She told me that you can’t be willing to let roadblocks stop you,” Hunter told the gathering of about 100 people at the Statesboro park Wednesday morning. “You just forge ahead and that's what this community did. And (her) vision will, once again, enrich the lives of the families in this community, our friends and our neighbors.
“And for generations to come, Whitesville Park will be a place for recreation. It'll be a place for relaxation. And together, this is for everyone. It will offer our youth a safe place to play. It will offer a place for our seniors. A peaceful place where they can take in nature and enjoy it. And all of us, a welcoming environment to gather and celebrate life's moments, those that are big and small.”
Whitesville Park, which is located off Raymond St., behind the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office complex, once was a popular gathering space operated by neighborhood volunteers. However, the park fell into disrepair and was closed to the public indefinitely in 2016 due to a combination of aging infrastructure, vandalism and maintenance challenges.
For years, volunteers like Howard and many more from the Whitesville Community Resource and Development Organization Inc. advocated for the preservation of the park, requesting Statesboro officials on several occasions for the city to assume ownership and revitalize the space.
In April 2022, the park property was officially deeded to Statesboro and city staff began exploring funding opportunities to support its renovation. Multiple grant applications to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, though, were unsuccessful. Finally, city officials decided to designate $1.2 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to move forward with the long-awaited project.
In December 2024, the City Council awarded a renovation contract to Lavender & Associates, committing to the revitalization of the park.
“The project has been a long time in making,” said Assistant City Manager Jason Boyles. “I know years ago, back when I was director of Public Works Engineering, I had many conversations with Ms. Carrie Howard about trying to get this park taken care of. Trying to line up crews to come out here and help the park out. Help the community out.”
The park currently has a restroom, a swing set and a basketball court – all outdated. According to project plans, existing facilities will be upgraded and new features added, including a modern restroom facility, a refurbished basketball court, a playground and a covered pavilion.
“We appreciate the city giving us the opportunity to do this project,” said John Lavender, with Lavender and Associates. “We intend to start on this right away. We'll be out here in the next couple of weeks doing some demolition of the whole restroom building and the existing basketball court. The park will get a new basketball court. We're going to put in a new restroom building, which will be roughly in the same area. It will also have an outside water fountain with the cooler and bottle filler.
“The playground will have various play features for kids from 2 to 12 years old, including a new swing set. And then we'll have a pavilion and another picnic shelter, along with benches spread throughout the park.”
Lavender said the playground equipment, once ordered, will take a while to be delivered and that would determine the timeline to complete the project. He said he would keep the city manager informed of the progress.
City Manager Charles Penny said that while Statesboro owns the park, he hopes to come to an arrangement with Bulloch County Recreation and Parks to help manage Whitesville Park and its facilities.
In closing her remarks, Hunter said her mother would be proud.
“As we turn the first shovel of earth this morning, let us look to the memories that will be made, the friendships that will be forged, and the legacy we will leave for the future,” she said. “Thank you all for your commitment to this project and to building a stronger and more vibrant community.”