Remembering the Solitude of Fort Ward Park

Remembering the Solitude of Fort Ward Park

J. Glenn Eugster

Charles W. Hendryx, the City of Alexandria’s first arborist, is long gone and forgotten.  No one at the Fort Ward Museum remembers him.  The City Recreation Department has no information about him.  Some of the people that worked for the city back-in-the-day remember him and know that one of the features of Fort Ward Park is the memorial that was created in his honor.

A search of the records in the Fort Ward Museum and the Alexandria Archives turned-up information about Mr. Hendryx and a lady named Mrs. R.F.S. Starr.  Mrs. Starr is often recognized as one of the people that helped convince City of Alexandria elected officials to save Fort Ward and create a historic park.  The Museum’s Library is named after Mrs. Starr to honor her work.

As it turns out Mrs. Starr and Mr. Hendryx worked together in the 1950’s to develop “preliminary thoughts” for Fort Ward Park.  Ideas for preservation, land acquisition, picnic areas, trails, footpaths, restrooms, parking and, natural and azalea plantings were shared between the two and used as the basis for the preparation of the initial plan for the park.

To recognize Mr. Hendryx’s contribution the city developed a small memorial, surrounded by azaleas and flowers, in his honor.   The memorial is located near the boundary where the park, Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery and Marlboro Estates comes together.  It is downslope of the cemetery within an area that early city maps described as “Solitude”, which was keeping with the city’s goal to protect history, provide recreation and preserve open space within the Fort Ward area.

Over the years, for good and not-so-good reasons, the area of solitude became a forgotten part of the park.  The area increasingly has been neglected with grass and leaves uncut and shrubs unkept.  Several benches that provide quiet places to meditate about nature fell into disrepair and small donor plaques placed on them were removed.  Even the Fort Ward Park & Musem Advisory Group members, charged with improving the management and protection of the park seemed to be ambivalent about this area.

Yesterday and today, however, a change was in the wind.  A Recreation Department maintenance truck pulled into the area and two city workers began removing two badly damaged benches, pruning overgrown shrubs, removing invasive species, and raking leaves away from the memorial and sitting area.

Although the changes are modest they are obvious and most welcome for they are the first signs of city interest in this part of the park in quite sometime.  City efforts, as well as donations and volunteer efforts from the Marlboro Estate residents, could help make this area an asset to Fort Ward once again.  If Mr. Hendryx and Mrs. Starr were still with us I’m sure they would be glad that the park they helped create and develop continues to be cared for.